Ultraschall Med 2016; 37 - SL6_5
DOI: 10.1055/s-0036-1587742

Performance of Fetal Intelligent Navigation Echocardiography (FINE, 5DHeart ©) in congenital heart defects – experiences from a retrospective single center study

A Weichert 1, B Opgen-Rhein 2, J Weichert 3, W Henrich 1, K Kalache 4, J Neymeyer 5
  • 1Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité Mitte, Department of Obstetrics, Berlin, Germany
  • 2Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Berlin, Germany
  • 3University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Luebeck, Ob/Gyn, Prenatal Medicine, Luebeck, Germany
  • 4Sidra Medical and Research Center, Obstetrics & Gynecology Department, Doha, Qatar
  • 5Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité Mitte, Urology and Urogynaecology Department, Berlin, Germany

Purpose: Congenital heart defects (CHD) are among the most common malformations as well as the main cause of malformation related childhood mortality. Although ultrasound is nowadays available almost everywhere, the majority of congenital heart defects are diagnosed postnatally.

Fetal intelligent navigation echocardiograpy (FINE, 5D Heart©) was developed to assist physicians in the extraction of examinations planes in accordance to national and international guidelines from a STIC (spatiotemporal image correlation) volume data set.

Material and methods: In our retrospective study STIC volumes of patients with a fetus affected by congenital heart disease (n = 35) were examined. After seven predefined anatomical structures were labeled, a sort of “map” of the fetal heart was automatically constructed by the algorithm and nine examination planes in accordance with the guidelines of the German Society for Ultrasound in Medicine (DEGUM), International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (ISUOG) and the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) were extracted.

The examined heart defects include tetralogy of Fallot, atrioventricular septal defects (AVSD), double outlet right ventricle (DORV), Hypoplastic left heart syndrome and other major structural heart defects. The volume data sets of the affected fetuses were analyzed with the FINE algorithm and the resulting planes have been examined.

Results: The results whether the heart defect is detectable will be demonstrated.

Conclusions: Preliminary results confirm and expand previously published data that the algorithm in combination with the standard 2D ultrasound could be a valuable tool to identify CHD and moreover to improve prenatal counseling and multidisciplinary management of the delivery.