Fetal lung volume determination by three-dimensional ultrasonography

OBJECTIVE: Pulmonary hypoplasia is common in compromised pregnancies. However, prenatal diagnosis by volume measurement has not become routine until now. The performance of three-dimensional ultrasonagraphy in fetal lung volume determination was evaluated In this study. STUDY DESIGN: In a total of 78 singleton pregnancies 108 measurements were performed. Lung volume was calculated by subtraction of the fetal heart volume from the volume of the fetal thorax. RESULTS: Linear regression of transformed fetal lung volume growth gave best results (R(2) = 0.77,p < 0.001), ranging from 2.8 ml at 14 weeks' gestation to 148 ml at term. RESULTS: Linear regression of transformed fetal lung volume growth gave best results (R(2) = 0.77,p < 0.001), ranging from 2.8 ml at 14 weeks' gestation to 148 ml at term. CONCLUSION: Three-dimensional ultrasonography provides not only access to surface rendered images but it also enables more sophisticated volume measurements. In this study three-dimensional ultrasonography provided fast, easy access for Volume estimation of the fetal lung. This technique can be used to reasonably predict fetal Lung volume.