Nasal bone assessment by 3D versus 2D ultrasound in the 11-13 gestational weeks screening

C. Mărginean, K. Brînzaniuc, S. Voidăzan, C. Mărginean

Abstract: The aim of our study was to assess the usefulness of a single three-dimensional (3D) volume acquisition for the study and measurement of fetal nasal-bone at 11-13 week’s gestation. A group of 121 pregnant women with singleton pregnancy and normal 2D fetal ecostructure, were analyzed in terms of a volume of fetal skull. The correlation between nasal bone length measured in 2D and 3D ultrasound by 2 different operators was determined. We used Med Calc and Graphpad Prisma statistical software. From the total fetuses with nasal bone presented in 2D ultrasound, only in these 101 3D volumes the nasal bone was clearly revealed, multiplanar processing resulted in fetal nasal bone measurement. There were no differences between 3D ultrasound measurement of nasal bone nor between 2D versus 3D ultrasound measurement. Further processing of volumes with multiplanar sections that can be replicated and standardized in fetal screening of the end of the first quarter has similar results to 2D ultrasound measurement of the nasal bone.
Keywords: nasal-bone, screening, ultrasound, multiplanar sections