Automated retrieval of standard diagnostic fetal cardiac ultrasound planes in the second trimester of pregnancy: a prospective evaluation of software

Abstract

To evaluate prospectively the performance of software that automatically retrieves, from a three-dimensional (3D) volume of the fetal chest, three diagnostic cardiac planes in the second trimester of pregnancy. 3D static volumes of the fetal chest were acquired at the level of the four-chamber view in 72 fetuses between 18 and 23 weeks of gestation. Standardization of 3D volumes was performed in Plane A (the reference plane: four-chamber view) alone. Tomographic ultrasound imaging (TUI) was added to the display of each diagnostic plane. The left ventricular outflow plane (Cardiac plane 1: five-chamber view, aorta), the right ventricular outflow plane (Cardiac plane 2: pulmonary artery) and the abdominal circumference plane (Cardiac plane 3: abdominal circumference, stomach) were retrieved by the software from the 3D volumes and the data were analyzed to determine whether Cardiac planes 1-3 were displayed correctly in each volume. The automated software displayed, in at least one TUI plane, target Cardiac plane 1 in 94.4% of volumes, target Cardiac plane 2 in 91.7% of volumes and target Cardiac plane 3 in 97.2% of volumes. Our results validate the concept of automated sonography and its potential clinical applicability.