Fetal Myocardial Wall Area: Constructing a Reference Range by Means of Spatiotemporal Image Correlation in the Rendering Mode

• Published in: Fetal diagnosis and therapy Vol. 37; no. 1; pp. 44 - 50
• Main Authors: Barros, Fernanda Silveira Bello, Moron, Antonio Fernandes, Rolo, Liliam Cristine, Rocha, Luciane Alves, Martins, Wellington P., Tonni, Gabriele, Nardozza, Luciano Marcondes Machado, Araujo Júnior, Edward
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel, Switzerland S. Karger AG 01.01.2015
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Echocardiography, Four-Dimensional - methods; Female; Fetal heart; Fetal Heart - diagnostic imaging; Fetus; Gestational Age; Heart Ventricles - diagnostic imaging; Humans; Medical examination; Methods; Middle Aged; Original Paper; Pregnancy; Prospective Studies; Reference Values; Three-dimensional ultrasonography; Ultrasonic imaging; Ultrasonics in obstetrics; Ultrasonography, Prenatal - methods; Young Adult; Brazil; Rendering mode; Myocardial area; Reference range; Fetal heart; Three-dimensional ultrasound
• ISSN: 1015-3837; 1421-9964
• DOI: 10.1159/000363653

Objective: To establish the reference range of the myocardial wall area in the fetus using three-dimensional ultrasound in the rendering mode. Methods: A prospective, cross-sectional study including 371 singleton, uncomplicated pregnancies at 20 weeks 0 day to 33 weeks 6 days of gestation was carried out. Cardiac volumes were obtained using spatiotemporal image correlation (STIC) at the level of the four-chamber view. The end-diastolic myocardial area of the both ventricles was measured manually. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to assess intra- and interobserver concordance. Results: The mean myocardial area of the fetal right ventricular (RV) wall ranged from 0.86 ± 0.23 cm 2 at 20 weeks 0 day to 2.75 ± 0.69 cm 2 at 33 weeks 6 days of gestation. The mean myocardial area of the fetal left ventricular (LV) wall ranged from 0.82 ± 0.20 cm 2 at 20 weeks 0 day to 2.49 ± 0.59 cm 2 at 33 weeks 6 days of gestation. In addition, intra- and interobserver concordance for the myocardial area of the RV and LV walls was good, with ICC values of 0.94, 0.95, 0.85, and 0.93, respectively. Conclusions: The reference range for the myocardial area of the RV and LV walls was determined by cardio-STIC in the rendering mode at 20 weeks 0 day to 33 weeks 6 days of gestation, with good concordance between values.