Fetal cardiac output and ejection fraction by spatio-temporal image correlation (STIC): comparison between male and female fetuses

Abstract

Débito cardíaco e fração de ejeção fetal por meio do spatio-temporal image correlation (STIC): comparação entre fetos masculinos e femininosFetal cardiac output and ejection fraction by spatio-temporal image correlation (STIC): comparison between male and female fetuses Abstract Objective: To compare the cardiac output (CO) and ejection fraction (EF) of the heart of male and female fetuses obtained by 3D-ultrasonography using spatio-temporal image correlation (STIC).Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study with 216 normal fetuses, between 20 and 34 weeks of gestation, 108 male and 108 female. Ventricular volumes at the end of systole and diastole were obtained by STIC, and the volumetric assessments performed by the virtual organ computer-aided analysis (VOCAL) rotated 30°. To calculate the DC used the formula: DC = stroke volume / fetal heart rate, while for the FE used the formula: EF = stroke volume / end-diastolic volume. The DC (combined male and female) and EF (male and female) were compared using the unpaired t test and ANCOVA. Scatter plots were created with the percentiles 5, 50 and 95.Results: Rev Bras Cir Cardiovasc 2012;27(2):275-82

Evaluation of Fetal Left Ventricular Size and Function Using Speckle‐Tracking and the Simpson Rule

“…The limitations of this study include the following: (1) offline analysis was used, which does not provide immediate access to the results; (2) the speckle‐tracking software, used primarily by pediatric and adult cardiologists, is not routinely available to physicians conducting prenatal US care; and (3) the steps required to implement the speckle‐tracking analysis require expertise and training. However, we believe that these limitations do not decrease the scientific value of this type of analysis because it does provide a more comprehensive interrogation of the LV than seen in previous studies …”

“…Figure illustrates the Z score values from 5 studies computed with Equation 2, plotted against Z score values obtained from our control fetuses. Schmidt et al analyzed the fetal LV using the technique described in this article, whereas the studies by Molina et al, Uittenbogaard et al, Hamill et al, and Simioni et al used spatiotemporal image correlation from which the EDV and ESV were derived by Virtual Organ computer‐aided analysis (VOCAL; GE Healthcare). The EDV Z score values reported by Uittenbogaard et al were greater than 2 between 20 and 30 weeks’ gestation (Figure A).…”

“…Hamill et al only had values of less than –2 for weeks 20 and 21 (Figure C). For the 3 studies that reported the EF, all had Z score values between 2 and –2 (Figure D) …”

Prospective evaluation of the fetal heart using Fetal Intelligent Navigation Echocardiography (FINE)

“…Moreover, no extra examination time was required. Various investigators have reported their success rate in obtaining STIC volume datasets in normal fetuses, and this ranged widely from 26% to 100%. Such success rates depend on many factors (e.g.…”

Image‐Derived Assessment of Left Ventricular Mass in Fetal Myocardial Hypertrophy by 4‐Dimensional Echocardiography

“…A series of new techniques, such as spatiotemporal image correlation (STIC) and virtual organ computer‐aided analysis, have been used to evaluate fetal ventricular mass. Studies have validated the feasibility and accuracy of these techniques 17 , 18 . However, unlike real‐time 3D echocardiography, STIC and virtual organ computer‐aided analysis are indirect motion‐gated offline scanning modes and are subject to stitching artifacts due to misregistration from fetal movement and sudden changes in the fetal heart rate 19 , 20…”