Abstract
Three- and four-dimensional US techniques in antenatal screening are commonplace, but they are not routinely used for perinatal postmortem US. In this technical innovation, we performed both two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) postmortem US on 11 foetuses (mean gestation: 23 weeks; range: 15–32 weeks) to determine whether there was any benefit in 3-D over conventional 2-D methods. In one case of osteogenesis imperfecta, both 2-D and 3-D US images were non-diagnostic because of small foetal size. Of the remaining 10 foetuses, 7 were normal at imaging and autopsy, and 3 had abnormalities detected on both 2-D and 3-D US. There were no false-positive diagnoses by 2-D or 3-D US. Whilst 3-D postmortem US was a feasible technique, it did not provide additional information over 2-D US. Routine 3-D postmortem US cannot therefore be routinely recommended based on our findings.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the European Society of Paediatric Radiology 2017 Guy Sebag Research Grant. Dr. Susan C. Shelmerdine is supported by a RCUK/UKRI Innovation Fellowship and Medical Research Council (MRC) Clinical Research Training Fellowship (Grant Ref: MR/R002118/1). This award is jointly funded by the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR). Dr. Owen J. Arthurs is funded by a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Career Development Fellowship (NIHR-CDF-2017-10-037). This article presents independent research funded by the MRC, RCR and NIHR and the views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the National Health Service, MRC, RCR, the NIHR or the Department of Health & Social Care.
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Shelmerdine, S.C., Sebire, N.J. & Arthurs, O.J. Three-dimensional versus two-dimensional postmortem ultrasound: feasibility in perinatal death investigation. Pediatr Radiol 51, 1259–1266 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-020-04934-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-020-04934-4