Three-dimensional fetal ultrasound

Three-dimensional (3D) imaging by ultrasound was proposed in the 1950s. Since the end of the 1980s, 3D ultrasound has become a major field of research in obstetrics and gynaecology. The technique of acquiring 3D data involves making a set of consecutive 2D ultrasound slices by moving the transducer and continuously storing the images. These ultrasound data must be converted into a regular cubic representation before presentation in different 3D visualization modes. The creation of new ultrasound sections from the 3D block and also the surface shading of a structure of interest promise improvement in the diagnosis of congenital anomalies and dysmorphology. In addition, the possibility of volume calculation by 3D ultrasound has to be considered as a clear innovation. At present, almost all of the diagnoses illustrated by 3D ultrasound can be made by 2D ultrasound, and this will continue to be so in the foreseeable future.