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Low-frequency high-definition power Doppler in visualizing and defining fetal pulmonary venous connections

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Abstract

Purpose

The use of low-frequency high-definition power Doppler in assessing and defining pulmonary venous connections was investigated.

Methods

Study A included 260 fetuses at gestational ages ranging from 18 to 36 weeks. Pulmonary veins were assessed by performing two-dimensional B-mode imaging, color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI), and low-frequency high-definition power Doppler. A score of 1 was assigned if one pulmonary vein was visualized, 2 if two pulmonary veins were visualized, 3 if three pulmonary veins were visualized, and 4 if four pulmonary veins were visualized. The detection rate between Exam-1 and Exam-2 (intra-observer variability) and between Exam-1 and Exam-3 (inter-observer variability) was compared. In study B, five cases with abnormal pulmonary venous connection were diagnosed and compared to their anatomical examination.

Results

In study A, there was a significant difference between CDFI and low-frequency high-definition power Doppler for the four pulmonary veins observed (P < 0.05). The detection rate of each pulmonary vein when employing low-frequency high-definition power Doppler was higher than that when employing two-dimensional B-mode imaging or CDFI. There was no significant difference between the intra- and inter-observer variabilities using low-frequency high-definition power Doppler display of pulmonary veins (P > 0.05). The coefficient correlation between Exam-1 and Exam-2 was 0.844, and the coefficient correlation between Exam-1 and Exam-3 was 0.821. In study B, one case of total anomalous pulmonary venous return and four cases of partial anomalous pulmonary venous return were diagnosed by low-frequency high-definition power Doppler and confirmed by autopsy.

Conclusions

The assessment of pulmonary venous connections by low-frequency high-definition power Doppler is advantageous. Pulmonary venous anatomy can and should be monitored during fetal heart examination.

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Conflict of interest

There are no financial or other relations that could lead to a conflict of interest.

Human rights statements and informed consent

All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2008 (5). Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ultrasound, Henan Province Hospital, Zhengzhou, 450002, China

    Lin Liu & Lianzhong Zhang

  2. Department of Ultrasound, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100029, China

    Yihua He, Zhian Li, Xiaoyan Gu & Ye Zhang

Authors
  1. Lin Liu
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  2. Yihua He
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  3. Zhian Li
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  4. Xiaoyan Gu
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  5. Ye Zhang
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  6. Lianzhong Zhang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yihua He.

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Liu, L., He, Y., Li, Z. et al. Low-frequency high-definition power Doppler in visualizing and defining fetal pulmonary venous connections. J Med Ultrasonics 41, 333–338 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-014-0520-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-014-0520-5

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