Feasibility and agreement of including anterior-posterior complexes and landmarks of the proximal hemisphere into basic examination of the fetal brain: A prospective study

Prenat Diagn. 2020 Apr;40(5):596-604. doi: 10.1002/pd.5652. Epub 2020 Mar 2.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility of identifying structures included in anterior complex (AC) and posterior complex (PC), as well as a series of anatomic landmarks that could help to demonstrate the integrity of the cerebral proximal hemisphere (PH).

METHODS: This was a prospective observational multicenter study of healthy pregnant women attending routine ultrasound screening at 20 + 0 to 33 + 6 weeks’ gestation. Six physicians performed transabdominal (TA) ultrasound, in order to obtain the planes required to visualize the AC, PC, and PH. Blind analysis by a nonexpert and two experts in fetal neurosonography was used to assess the structures included in each plane view.

RESULTS: In the population studied (n = 747), detection of the structure rates for AC, PC, and proximal hemisphere was of 94%, 93%, and 96%, respectively, with an agreement of 97%, 94%, and 98% when comparing an expert and a nonexpert in fetal brain examiner. Detection of structures in the proximal hemisphere was significantly higher when observed through the proximal hemisphere plane rather than the transventricular plane.

CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that inclusion of AC and PC complexes visualization, as well as real-time access to the proximal hemisphere, is feasible and could improve the prenatal detection of fetal cerebral anomalies.

PMID:31994747 | DOI:10.1002/pd.5652