Nomograms of the fetal lateral ventricles using transvaginal sonography

Abstract

Nomograms of the fetal lateral ventricles were obtained by the transvaginal approach. Three hundred low‐risk women with no sonographically apparent fetal anomalies were scanned prospectively in a cross‐sectional study. Three measurements in the parasagittal plane, three in the midline coronal plane, and two in the posterior coronal plane were used to generate seven nomograms. Two additional nomograms reflecting two calculated ratios also were created. A mean regression line and the 5th and 95th confidence intervals were determined. We concluded that transvaginal sonography of the fetal brain generates images of both hemispheres of good enough resolution to allow several precise and reproducible measurements.

Magnetic resonance imaging supplements ultrasonographic imaging of the posterior fossa, pharynx and neck in malformed fetuses

“…Ultrasonography allows real time imaging of the fetus and the transvaginal approach gives additional information on fetal brain structures. When the fetal head is engaged deep in the maternal pelvis 19 , transvaginal imaging enables lateral ventricle enlargement, cerebral mantle thickness and the third ventricle and thalamus to be visualized readily. However, the bony skull base, posterior fossa and neck can still be difficult to examine even with this ultrasound technique.…”

Sonographic diagnosis of fetal cerebral ventriculomegaly: An update

“…Several measurement techniques have been suggested starting with the lateral ventricle width/hemispheric width ratio [13], moving on to the atrial width measurement [14], and then to the multiple and fine measurements suggested by Monteagudo et al [15], obtainable by the transvaginal approach on the coronal and sagittal scans. The atrial width measured in the axial scan is still the best and easiest way of recognizing ventricular dilatation and it is routinely used as a simple method to screen for ventriculomegaly.…”

The clinical significance of fetal isolated cerebral borderline ventriculomegaly: report of 31 cases and review of the literature

“…Mahony et al 4 Achiron et al 7 Patel et al 6 Vergani et al 3 Lipitz et al 11 Personal experience in utero demise at 25 weeks (260 g) delivery at 36 weeks (1830 g); idiopathic failure to thrive chorioamnionitis; in utero demise at 24 weeks (590 g) delivery at 35 weeks (1455 g) ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency severe prematurity; cystic brain lesions neonatal death from acquired immunodeficiency syndrome unexplained intrauterine demise close to term SGA, small for gestational age areas of the lateral ventricles, measured in standard axial planes [12][13][14] , coronal and sagittal sections 15 . However, measurement of the transverse diameter of the ventricular atrium, at the level of the glomus of the choroid plexus, is currently favored 16,17 .…”