3D Ultrasound Research Articles

Automated Segmentation of Fetal Intracranial Volume in Three-Dimensional Ultrasound Using Deep Learning: Identifying Sex Differences in Prenatal Brain Development.

The human brain undergoes major developmental changes during pregnancy. Three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound images allow for the opportunity to investigate typical prenatal brain development on a large scale. Transabdominal ultrasound can be challenging due to the small fetal brain and its movement, as well as multiple sweeps that may not yield high-quality images, especially when brain structures are unclear. By applying the latest developments in artificial intelligence for automated image processing allowing automated training of brain anatomy in these images retrieving reliable quantitative brain measurements becomes possible at a large scale. Here, we developed a convolutional neural network (CNN) model for automated segmentation of fetal intracranial volume (ICV) from 3D ultrasound. We applied the trained model in a large longitudinal population sample from the YOUth Baby and Child cohort measured at 20- and 30-week of gestational age to investigate biological sex differences in fetal ICV as a proof-of-principle and validation for our automated method (N = 2235 individuals with 43492 ultrasounds). A total of 168 annotated, randomly selected, good quality 3D ultrasound whole-brain images were included to train a 3D CNN for automated fetal ICV segmentation. A data augmentation strategy provided physical variation to train the network. K-fold cross-validation and Bayesian optimization were used for network selection and the ensemble-based system combined multiple networks to form the final ensemble network. The final ensemble network produced consistent and high-quality segmentations of ICV (Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC) > 0.93, Hausdorff Distance (HD): HDvoxel < 4.6 voxels, and HDphysical < 1.4 mm). In addition, we developed an automated quality control procedure to include the ultrasound scans that successfully predicted ICV from all 43492 3D ultrasounds available in all individuals, no longer requiring manual selection of the best scan for analysis. Our trained model automatically retrieved ultrasounds with brain data and estimated ICV and ICV growth in 7672 (18%) of ultrasounds in 1762 participants that passed the automatic quality control procedure. Boys had significantly larger ICV at 20-weeks (81.7 ± 0.4 mL vs. 80.8 ± 0.5 mL; B = 2.86; p = 5.7e-14) and 30-weeks (257.0 ± 0.9 mL vs. 245.1 ± 0.9 mL; B = 12.35; p = 8.2e-27) of pregnancy, and more pronounced ICV growth than girls (delta growth 0.12 mL/day; p = 1.8e-5). Our automated artificial intelligence approach provides an opportunity to investigate fetal brain development on a much larger scale and to answer fundamental questions related to prenatal brain development.

Reliability of clinical examination for the assessment of obstetric anal sphincter injuries. A comparative study with 3D endoanal ultrasonography

Reliability of clinical examination for the assessment of obstetric anal sphincter injuries. A comparative study with 3D endoanal ultrasonography

Ultrasound diagnosis of first trimester umbilical cord entanglement in monochorionic monoamniotic twins - case report and review of the literature

BackgroundDiagnosis of umbilical cord entanglement (UCE) by ultrasound (US) in monochorionic monoamniotic (MCMA) twins in the second and third trimesters is common. However, only a few cases have been reported on the diagnosis of UCE as early as the first trimester. Herein, we report a case of the earliest-ever sonographic diagnosis of UCE and demonstrate the feasibility of its diagnosis by US.Case presentationA 32-year-old gravida 2 para 1 woman conceived after assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment. In transvaginal US examination at 8.5 gestational weeks, two embryos with regular heartbeats in the same amniotic sac and with only one yolk sac were demonstrated. The fetal crown-rump lengths were 20 and 21 mm, appropriate for 8.4 and 8.5 gestational weeks, respectively. HD-flow power Doppler 2D and 3D US demonstrated two tightly entangled umbilical cords of the two fetuses. Spectral Doppler US showed two different heart rates (162 and 167 beats per minute) and blood flow in opposite directions from the point of entanglement of the two umbilical cords. This was consistent with a diagnosis of a first-trimester MCMA pregnancy with UCE. Missed abortion of the two embryos was diagnosed by US examination at 10.5 weeks, and the pregnancy was terminated by dilatation and curettage without further complications.ConclusionsUCE in the first trimester may occur as early as eight gestational weeks, and its diagnosis by ultrasound is feasible. UCE diagnosed in the first trimester may be a poor prognostic factor.

Methodology Used in Studies Aimed at Measuring Fetal Soft Tissues by 2D Ultrasound for the Screening of Large for Gestational Age Fetuses: A Systematic Review.

Management of suspected large for gestational age (LGA) fetuses remains unclear because ultrasound-estimated fetal weight (EFW) is not accurate. This was a systematic review of observational studies on fetal soft tissues measurements used alone or in combination to create a new EFW formula, to improve the screening for LGA fetuses. Studies were scored using a predefined set of independently agreed methodological criteria and an overall quality score was assigned for study design, statistical analysis, and reporting methods. There is a need to standardize methodologies for soft fetal tissue measurements. We propose a set of suggestions for this purpose.

Delayed Prenatal Development of the Insula Lobe in SGA Fetuses at 2D Ultrasonography: A Perspective-Changing Retrospective Study

Delayed Prenatal Development of the Insula Lobe in SGA Fetuses at 2D Ultrasonography: A Perspective-Changing Retrospective Study

Effects of 3D ultrasonography and 3D printed images on maternal-fetal attachment and its correlation with overall smoking within pregnancy: a pilot study

BackgroundSmoking in pregnancy continues to cause significant morbidity to mothers and babies and contributes to tremendous costs to society. Maternal-fetal attachment (MFA) may differentiate smokers who quit or pregnant smokers from non-smokers. Researchers have recommended utilizing interventions that improve MFA to help decrease smoking within pregnancy.MethodsWe performed a randomized clinical trial of pregnant smokers (n = 33) using an MFA-informed, intention-to-treat protocol. We recruited pregnant smokers and provided timeline follow back (TLFB) interviews from 27 weeks of pregnancy until 6 weeks post-partum. Salivary cotinine was also collected at five different time points. 3D ultrasonography was performed, and patients were randomly assigned a 3D picture or a 3D model of their fetus.ResultsOverall, the average percent reduction in cigarette use was 37.03% (SD = 31.18). The main effect of 3D type was not significant (3D Model vs. 3D Print Estimate = -0.09, 95% CI: − 0.19 to 0.01, p = 0.066). A total of 4 patients (12%) quit smoking within one week of delivery. A 10% reduction in cigarette use was associated with a 30.57 g increase in birth weight (Estimate = 30.57, 95% CI: -14.15 to 75.29); a 10% reduction in cigarette use was associated with a 0.14 week increase in estimate gestational age at delivery (Estimate = 0.14, 95% CI: -0.01 to 0.28).ConclusionsPatients who smoke in pregnancy decrease the number of cigarettes smoked after receiving either a 3D picture or 3D model of their fetus.Trial registrationclinicaltrials.gov (NCT04541121).

Verification of intra- and inter-atrial conduction during Bachmann's bundle pacing using longitudinal bi-atrial strain

Abstract Introduction Although atrial septal pacing has been reported to reduce atrial fibrillation (AF) burden, there is less evidence regarding its effect on the prevention of permanent AF and the improvement of long-term clinical outcomes. However, Bachmann's bundle pacing (BBp), which features P-wave morphology similar to sinus rhythm and shortened P-wave duration (PWD), was reported to significantly reduce permanent AF recurrences and occurrences compared with right atrial appendage pacing (RAAp) and non-specific right septal pacing. Purpose Possible mechanisms for AF suppression with BBp are that fast inter-atrial conduction through BB decreases global atrial activation time and the dispersion of the overall atrial refractoriness, and it prevents the decrease in left ventricular filling and increase in left atrial pressure associated with delayed left atrial contraction. Intra-and inter-atrial conduction during BBp was evaluated using longitudinal bi-atrial strain. Methods In patients with successful BBp implantation defined by electrocardiographic criteria using SelectSecure pacing lead and C315 delivery catheter (Medtronic, Inc), both left atrium (LA) and right atrium (RA) global longitudinal strain (GLS) in simultaneous phases were measured using Philips Ultrasound Workspace 2D Strain in apical 4-chamber view during atrial pacing to assess intra- and inter-atrial conduction delay. The atrial GLS were measured semi-automatically, and the strain rate was analyzed in the three segments of septal wall, lateral wall, and roof and their average. The negative peak of strain rate during atrial systole was the starting point of atrial contraction, and time to peak (TTP) was measured. The difference in TTP between septal and lateral walls in each atrium was measured as intra-atrial conduction delay and the difference in average TTP between LA and RA as inter-atrial conduction delay. Results Ten patients who underwent successful BBp were enrolled (Sick sinus syndrome: 3, advanced atrioventricular block: 2, complete atrioventricular block: 5). At implantation, bipolar atrial electrogram amplitude was 2.03±0.93 mV, atrial lead impedance was 632.7±157.6 Ω, and atrial pacing threshold was 0.7±0.2 V at 0.4 ms. The PWD during sinus rhythm on the 12-lead ECG was 132.8±10.6 ms, while during BBp it was 108.0±11.9 ms, which was significantly shorter in the BBp group (p&amp;lt;0.001). The intra-atrial conduction delay in RA and LA was 10.9 ± 12.1 ms and 12.1 ± 17.3 ms, respectively, and the inter-atrial conduction delay was 6.6 ± 8.6 ms. On the other hand, for the 10 RAAp and 10 sinus rhythm patients as control groups, the inter-atrial conduction delay was 29.7±13.8 ms and 8.5±9.5 ms, respectively. BBp had significantly less inter-atrial conduction delay than RAAp (p=0.005) and was comparable to sinus rhythm (p=0.719). Conclusion Longitudinal bi-atrial strain suggested that BBp significantly reduced inter-atrial delay and it might be effective in AF suppression.Longitudinal bi-atrial strain

Prenatal phthalate exposure and pubertal development in 16-year-old daughters: reproductive hormones and number of ovarian follicles.

Is there a possible association between prenatal phthalate exposure and late effects in teenage daughters with respect to reproductive hormone levels, uterine volume, and number of ovarian follicles? Our study showed subtle associations between phthalate metabolite concentrations in maternal serum from pregnancy or cord blood and LH and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels as well as uterine volume in their daughters 16 years later. Endocrine-disrupting environmental chemicals may adversely affect human reproductive health, and many societies have experienced a trend toward earlier puberty and an increasing prevalence of infertility in young couples. The scientific evidence of adverse effects of foetal exposure to a large range of chemicals, including phthalates, on male reproductive health is growing, but very few studies have explored effects on female reproduction. This follow-up study included 317 teenage daughters who were part of the Copenhagen Mother-Child Cohort, a population-based longitudinal birth cohort of 1210 females born between 1997 and 2002. A total of 317 female participants (median age 16 years) were examined for weight, height, and menstrual pattern. A serum sample was analysed for concentrations of reproductive hormones, and trans-abdominal 3D ultrasonography was performed to obtain the number of ovarian follicles, ovarian and uterine size. Prenatal maternal serum samples were available for 115 females, and cord blood samples were available for 118 females. These were analysed for concentrations of 32 phthalate metabolites. Weighted quantile sum regression was used for modelling associations of combined prenatal phthalate exposure with the reproductive outcomes in post-menarcheal females. In bivariate correlation analyses, negative significant associations were found between several prenatal phthalate metabolite concentrations and serum hormone concentrations (testosterone, 17-OH-progesterone, and IGF-1) as well as number of ovarian follicles in puberty. Positive significant correlations were found between prenatal phthalate exposure and FSH and sex hormone-binding globulin concentrations. Combined analyses of phthalate exposure (weighted quantile sums) showed significant negative associations with IGF-1 concentration and uterine volume as well as a significant positive association with LH concentration. Phthalate metabolites were measured in serum from single prenatal maternal blood samples and cord blood samples. Potential concomitant exposure to other endocrine-disrupting environmental chemicals before or after birth was not controlled for. The study population size was limited. Our results support the need for further research into possible adverse effects of environmental chemicals during foetal development of the female reproductive system. The work was supported by The Center on Endocrine Disruptors (CeHoS) under The Danish Environmental Protection Agency and The Ministry of Environment and Food (grant number: MST-621-00 065). No conflicts of interest are declared. N/A.

Complementing Mammography Screening with Automated 3D Ultrasound in Women with High-Density Breasts

Background. In early breast screening structure, an important factor is breast density. Women with types C and D breast density according to American College of Radiology (ACR) classification have 4–6-fold increased risk of cancer compared to women with type A breast density. With this type of density, the effectiveness of diagnostic mammography (MG) is significantly decreased. Today, automated breast 3D ultrasound can be considered as an additional screening method in women with breast structure types C and D according to ACR.Objective: to perform a comparative analysis of the diagnostic efficacy of 2D and 3D ultrasound in women aged 40 years and older with high breast tissue density.Material and methods. Retro-prospective, observational, single-center study was conducted. From February 2019 to May 2023, 1283 patients aged 40 years and older were examined. The patients were divided into two groups. In group A, women underwent 2D ultrasound and MG. In group B, additionally to these methods, 3D ultrasound was performed. In both groups, the results were evaluated according to Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS). Based on the obtained data, the following indicators were determined: positive (PPV) and negative (NPV) predictive values, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of all methods. For 2D and 3D ultrasound, the predictive model areas under curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) were calculated.Results. MG method showed PPV 0.89, NPV 0.93, sensitivity 0.53, specificity 0.99, and balanced accuracy 0.76. Indicators for 2D ultrasound demonstrated PPV 0.8, NPV 0.98, sensitivity 0.9, specificity 0.97, balanced accuracy 0.93, AUC ROC 0.968. The results for 3D ultrasound were as follows: PPV 0.97, NPV 0.97, sensitivity 0.9, specificity 0.99, balanced accuracy 0.94, AUC ROC 0.98.Conclusion. The diagnostic efficiency of breast automated 3D ultrasound in patients aged 40 years and older is comparable to 2D ultrasound in terms of sensitivity, and it’s better in terms of accuracy, specificity. The prognostic model of 3D ultrasound is also better compared to 2D ultrasound.

A comparison of 2D and 3D with the use of HDlive mode imaging in the diagnosis of endometrial polyps in infertility

Objective: to compare 2D ultrasound and 3D with HDlive mode ultrasound in the diagnosis of endometrial polyps in infertility.Material and methods. The retrospective cohort study included 116 women aged 29 to 43 years (mean age 36.9 ± 3.78) with infertility who were observed at the Nova Clinic Center for Reproduction and Genetics from January 2021 to June 2024. 2D and 3D ultrasounds were performed in all patients. The final conclusion on the presence or absence of pathology was based on the results of the 3D study with HDlive mode. The histological verification of polyps was carried out after hysteroscopy.Results. Hysteroscopy revealed no signs of pathology in 5 (4.3%) patients; moreover, the results of 2D imaging were also negative, and the results of 3D imaging were positive. In other 111 cases (95.7%), the diagnosis of a polyp was confirmed on hysteroscopy. Among them, no signs of pathology were found on 2D ultrasound in 19 (16.4%) patients. According to the obtained results, the use of 3D imaging with HDlive mode leads to overdiagnosis and false positive results with a chance of 4.5%. On the contrary, 2D imaging leads to underdiagnosis and false negative results with a chance of 19.6%, which is statistically significantly higher than the chance of a false positive result using the 3D method (p = 0.008). Thus, the chance of a false result using the 2D mode is 4.4 [1.57; 12.09] times higher than using the 3D mode.Conclusions. The study demonstrated a higher accuracy of the 3D ultrasound compared to 2D ultrasound in diagnosing endometrial polyps.

Diagnostic Correlation between Saline Infused Sono Hysterography and Three-Dimensional Transvaginal Ultrasound in the Assessment of Cesarean Section Scar Defect. A Study of a Diagnostic Test Accuracy

Abstract Background The evolution of Sono hysterography over the past years has contributed significantly to the assessment of uterine cavity. Saline infused Sono hysterography (SIS) may be recommended as an alternative to Diagnostic Hysteroscopy for the assessment of the uterine cavity and uterine scar in women with previous Cesarean Section. Three-dimensional (3D) ultrasonography that enhances visualization of the lower uterine segment (LUS), myometrial thickness and the size of uterine diverticulum is a more recent tool used to diagnose post- cesarean section uterine diverticulum. Objective To compare accuracy of three-dimensional transvaginal ultrasound versus saline infused sonography for assessing the characteristics, frequency of caesarean scar defects in symptomatic patients with a history of cesarean section. Patients and Methods This study was conducted with 72 women. patients were recruited from the ultrasound unit underwent both three-dimensional transvaginal ultrasound and saline infused son hysterography. This study, conforming to the declaration of Helsinki, was approved by the ethical committee of Obstetrics and Gynecology department, Ain Shams University, ethical committee number FMASU M D 52 \2021. Results 3D transvaginal ultrasound and Sono hysterography showed almost good agreement regarding prevalence of niche with kappa (κ) 0.780 with p-value (p &amp;lt; 0.001). Both imaging modalities show statistically significant higher mean value of volume in SIS was 591.67±271.05 comparing to 3D TVUS was 444.36±219.42, with p-value (p = 0.004). Conclusion There is a substantial agreement between 3D TVUS and SIS in evaluating various niche characteristics, encompassing depth, length, width, volume, AMT and RMT. The data strongly supports the advantages of 3D TVUS over SIS for assessing Cesarean scar defects, commonly known as “Niche.” These benefits encompass cost-effectiveness, improved time efficiency, enhanced patient tolerability, and heightened patient satisfaction associated with the 3D TVUS procedure.

Comparing the Diagnostic Efficacy of 3D Ultrasound and MRI in the Classification of Müllerian Anomalies.

Müllerian anomalies significantly impact female reproductive health. This study aims to compare the diagnostic efficacy of three-dimensional ultrasound (3D-US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in detecting and classifying these anomalies. A retrospective analysis of 150 patients with Müllerian anomalies was conducted at Saveetha Medical College and Hospital from March 2018 to March 2024. MRI and 3D-US examinations were performed and analyzed independently by two radiologists. Anomalies were classified according to European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE)/European Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy (ESGE) and American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) guidelines. The septate uterus was the most prevalent anomaly, observed in 53 patients (35.3%). MRI demonstrated superior diagnostic accuracy (AUC 0.92) compared to 3D-US (AUC 0.88). Significant associations were found between presenting symptoms and specific anomaly types (p < 0.05). Inter-rater reliability between the two radiologists, with respect to classification of anomalies, was high (Cohen's kappa 0.85). MRI's superior soft-tissue contrast and multiplanar capabilities make it the gold standard for evaluating complex uterine malformations. 3D-US offers valuable real-time imaging and is particularly effective in assessing septum characteristics. The combined use of MRI and 3D-US enhances diagnostic precision and facilitates tailored management strategies. Integrating MRI and 3D-US in clinical practice improves diagnostic accuracy and treatment planning for Müllerian anomalies, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes.

Robotic Needle Insertion With 2D Ultrasound–3D CT Fusion Guidance

Robotic Needle Insertion With 2D Ultrasound–3D CT Fusion Guidance

Effect of maneuvers, diuresis, and fluid administration on ultrasound-measured liver stiffness after Fontan.

To determine the effect of stress maneuvers/interventions on ultrasound liver stiffness measurements (LSMs) in patients with Fontan circulation and healthy controls. In this prospective, IRB-approved study of 10 patients after Fontan palliation and 10 healthy controls, ultrasound 2D shear-wave elastography LSMs were acquired at baseline and after maximum inspiration, expiration, standing, handgrip, aerobic exercise, i.v. fluid (500mL normal saline) administration, and i.v. furosemide (20mg) administration. Absolute and percent change in LSM were compared between baseline and each maneuver, and then from fluid infusion to after diuresis. Median ages were 25.5 and 26 years in the post-Fontan and control groups (p = 0.796). LSMs after Fontan were higher at baseline (2.6 vs. 1.3m/s) and with all maneuvers compared to controls (all p < 0.001). Changes in LSM with maneuvers, exercise, fluid, or diuresis were not significant when compared to baseline in post-Fontan patients. LSM in controls increased with inspiration (+0.02m/s, 1.6%, p = 0.03), standing (+0.07m/s, 5.5%, p = 0.03), and fluid administration (+0.10m/s, 7.8%, p = 0.002), and decreased 60 minutes after diuretic administration (-0.05m/s, -3.9%, p = 0.01) compared to baseline. LSM after diuretic administration significantly decreased when compared to after i.v. fluid administration at 30 minutes (-0.79m/s, -26.5%, p = 0.004) and 60 minutes (-0.78m/s, -26.2%, p = 0.017) for patients after Fontan and controls at 15 minutes (-0.12m/s, -8.70%, p = 0.002), 30 minutes (-0.15m/s, -10.9%, p = 0.003), and 60 minutes (-0.1m/s, -10.9%, p = 0.005). LSM after Fontan is higher with more variability compared to controls. Diuresis is associated with significantly decreased liver stiffness in both patients after Fontan and controls, with the suggestion of a greater effect in Fontan patients.

Improved ground truth annotation by multimodal image registration from 3D ultrasound to histopathology for resected tongue carcinoma.

This study's objectives are (1) to investigate the registration accuracy from intraoperative ultrasound (US) to histopathological images, (2) to assess the agreement and correlation between measurements in registered 3D US and histopathology, and (3) to train a nnUNet model for automatic segmentation of 3D US volumes of resected tongue specimens. Ten 3D US volumes were acquired, including the corresponding digitalized histopathological images (n = 29). Based on corresponding landmarks, the registrations between 3D US and histopathology images were calculated and evaluated using the target registration error (TRE). Tumor thickness and resection margins were measured based on three annotations: (1) manual histopathological tumor annotation (HTA), manual 3D US tumor annotation, and (2) the HTA registered in the 3D US. The agreement and correlation were computed between the measurements based on the HTA and those based on the manual US and registered HTA in US. A deep-learning model with nnUNet was trained on 151 3D US volumes. Segmentation metrics quantified the model's performance. The median TRE was 0.42mm. The smallest mean difference was between registered HTA in US and histopathology with 2.16mm (95% CI - 1.31; 5.63) and a correlation of 0.924 (p < 0.001). The nnUNet predicted the tumor with a Dice similarity coefficient of 0.621, an average surface distance of 1.15mm, and a Hausdorff distance of 3.70mm. Multimodal image registration enabled the HTA's registration in the US images and improved the agreement and correlation between the modalities. In the future, this could be used to annotate ground truth labels accurately.

Strengthening Cu-containing high entropy alloys through ultrasonic solidification constructed heterostructures

The solidification process of FeCoNiCu1.5Al0.2 high-entropy alloy (HEA) with two FCC phases was modulated by three-dimensional (3D) ultrasounds with 20 kHz frequency and 22 μm amplitude. The statically solidified alloy was composed of a primary γ1 phase growing into coarse dendrites and a Cu-rich γ2 phase dispersed in interdendritic spacings. Once 3D ultrasounds were applied, the primary γ1 phase was refined into small equiaxed grains and the secondary γ2 phase was distributed around their grain boundaries. Based on the estimation of local sound pressure and undercooling, as well as acoustic spectra examination, it is concluded that transient cavitation was the dominant reason for the formation of tiny equiaxed γ1 phase by remarkably increasing local nucleation rate, which also promoted the generation of connected γ2 phase together with acoustic streaming effect. The yield strength, ultimate strength and total elongation for ultrasonically solidified alloy sample were simultaneously enhanced by 73 %, 54 % and 13 %, which were up to 605 MPa, 845 MPa and 35 % respectively. According to LUR tests and dislocation characterization, both hetero-deformation induced (HDI) strengthening and grain refinement strengthening contributed to the increase of yield strength, while the former mainly enhanced ultimate strength and ductility synergistically. This indicates that 3D ultrasonic solidification provides an effective approach to overcoming the strength-ductility trade-off for Cu-containing HEAs.

Analysis of the Clinical Value of Two-Dimensional Plus Four-Dimensional Ultrasound in the Diagnosis of Fetal Facial Anomalies

Objective: To explore and analyze the clinical value of two-dimensional plus four-dimensional ultrasound in diagnosing fetal facial anomalies. Methods: To review and analyze the basic data of 50 fetuses with facet anomalies delivered in Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Jiangyan District from January 2017 to January 2023, and to analyze and compare the two-dimensional (2D) diagnostic results of all the fetuses (2D group), and the combined 2D and four-dimensional (4D) diagnostic results (combined group). Results: Taking the delivery results as the gold standard, 39 fetuses with facial anomalies were diagnosed in the 2D group, and 48 fetuses with facial anomalies were diagnosed in the combined group, which showed that the diagnostic compliance rate of the 2D group was significantly lower than that of the combined group, and the difference of P &lt; 0.05 was statistically significant. The sensitivity and accuracy of the diagnostic efficiency of the combined group were significantly higher than that of the 2D group, and the difference was statistically significant at P &lt; 0.05; the specificity of the diagnostic efficiency of the combined group and the 2D group was compared, and the difference was not statistically significant at (P &gt; 0.05). Conclusion: 2D plus 4D ultrasounds are more accurate in diagnosing fetal facial anomalies, and the combined diagnosis is more clinically significant, so it is recommended to be widely used and promoted.

Prediction of Preoperative Cesarean Scar Dehiscence by Using 2D Ultrasound in Pregnant Women with Previous Cesarean Section

Prediction of Preoperative Cesarean Scar Dehiscence by Using 2D Ultrasound in Pregnant Women with Previous Cesarean Section

Automatic bony structure segmentation and curvature estimation on ultrasound cervical spine images - a feasibility study

Abstract The loss of cervical lordosis is a common degenerative disorder known to be associated with abnormal spinal alignment. In recent years, ultrasound (US) imaging has been widely applied in the assessment of spine deformity and has shown promising results. The objectives of this study are to automatically segment bony structures from the 3D US cervical spine image volume and to assess the cervical lordosis on the key sagittal frames. In this study, a portable ultrasound imaging system was applied to acquire cervical spine image volume. The nnU-Net was trained on to segment bony structures on the transverse images and validated by 5-fold-cross-validation. The volume data were reconstructed from the segmented image series. An energy function indicating intensity levels and integrity of bony structures was designed to extract the proxy key sagittal frames on both left and right sides for the cervical curve measurement. The mean absolute difference (MAD), standard deviation (SD) and correlation between the spine curvatures of the left and right sides were calculated for quantitative evaluation of the proposed method. The DSC value of the nnU-Net model in segmenting ROI was 0.973. For the measurement of 22 lamina curve angles, the MAD±SD and correlation between the left and right sides of the cervical spine were 3.591±3.432° and 0.926, respectively. The results indicate that our method has a high accuracy and reliability in the automatic segmentation of the cervical spine and shows the potential of diagnosing the loss of cervical lordosis using the 3D ultrasound imaging technique.

DC-UNet: Looking for follicles in the ovarian ultrasound images

The auspicious initiation of human reproduction starts by releasing the ovum through ovulation within the ovary. Ceaseless monitoring of the female reproductive organs has now become essential for combating fertility-related issues and for successful assisted reproduction. Cases of infertility and demands for assisted reproduction in our modern liberated society are rapidly increasing. External or Transvaginal ultrasound imaging of the ovary provides us with vital information about the number, size, and position of the follicles in the ovary and their cumulative response to biological stimuli. Manual screening of thousands of USG images having lacs of follicles is an extremely strenuous job and prone to humane error. This paper propounded a new deep-learning architecture named Double Contraction-UNet (DC-UNet) which makes follicle segmentation fully automatic. This model restructured the U-Net architecture by introducing two contracting paths to segment the follicular object with higher accuracy. The model was trained and tested on approximately forty two thousand annotated ovarian 2D ultrasonography images extracted from USOVA3D Training Set 1. The proposed model outperforms the other U-Net-based state-of-the-art models when trained and tested on the same dataset. The proposed model has achieved an accuracy rate of 97.82%, a precision rate of 97.54%, a Recall value of 94.34%, an F1 Score of 95.91%, a Dice Score of 0.76, and a Jaccard Similarity Index of 0.59.