The diagnostic value of the early extended fetal heart examination at 13 to 14 weeks gestational age in a high-risk population.

Background: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common congenital malformation that affects high-risk populations. A more definite heart diagnosis in the first trimester should be provided to guide clinical treatment. The study aim was to evaluate the diagnostic precision of the early extended fetal heart examination (EFHE) that includes abdominal situs view, four-chamber view (4CV), left ventricular outflow tract view (LVOT), right ventricular outflow tract view (RVOT), 3-vessel and tracheal view (3VT), ductal arch view, and the aortic arch view in the detection of CHD at the gestational age (GA) 13 to 14 weeks in a population with high risks.

Ultrasound-Guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound for Devascularization of Uterine Fibroid: A Feasibility Study.

This study aimed to establish the feasibility of ultrasound-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (USgHIFU) for devascularization of uterine fibroids. Ultrasound color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) and B-mode imaging were used to target fibroid vascularity. The vessels were covered and ablated by high-intensity focused ultrasound spots.

Should chromosomal microarray be offered to fetuses with ultrasonographic soft markers in second trimester: A prospective cohort study and meta-analysis.

Objective: To evaluate whether chromosomal microarray (CMA) should be offered to fetuses with ultrasonographic soft markers (USMs) in the second trimester.

Methods: A prospective cohort study and meta-analysis were conducted. In the prospective cohort study, 564 fetuses with USMs were enrolled.

Prenatal Diagnosis of Microdeletions or Microduplications in the Proximal, Central, and Distal Regions of Chromosome 22q11.2: Ultrasound Findings and Pregnancy Outcome.

Several recurrent microdeletions and microduplications in the proximal, central, and distal regions of chromosomal 22q11.2 have been identified. However, due to a limited number of patients reported in the literature, highly variable clinical phenotypes, and incomplete penetrance, the pathogenicity of some microdeletions/microduplications in 22q11.

Chromosomal microarray analysis in fetuses with congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract: A prospective cohort study and meta-analysis.

Objective: To evaluate the usefulness and incremental diagnostic yield of chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) compared with standard karyotyping in fetuses with congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT).

Methods: A prospective cohort study and systematic review of the literature were conducted. In the prospective cohort study, 123 fetuses with CAKUT, as detected by prenatal ultrasound at our center, were enrolled and evaluated using karyotyping and CMA.

An Innovative Ultrasound Strain Elastographic Method for the Differential Diagnosis of Breast Tumors.

In this monocentric perspective study examining 64 lesions (19 benign and 45 malignant), we tested an innovative ultrasound elastographic method for diagnosing breast tumors. A new region of control and a new index designating the strain ratio (SR) were used. A traditional ultrasound elastographic method was used as the control.

Metacarpal Bone Plane Examination by Ultrasonography for the Diagnosis of Fetal Forearm and Hand Deformity.

We explored the value of the metacarpal bone plane in screening for serious fetal forearm and hand deformities, excluding simple polydactyly and dactylion deformity, by ultrasonographic examination. Observed the second to fifth metacarpal bone plane of fetuses in 20,139 pregnant women at a gestational age of 16 to 30 weeks in The International Peace Maternity &Child Health Hospital of China Welfare Institute (IPMCH). There was a total 138 cases of fetal forearm and/or hand deformity among the 20,139 pregnant women.

Feasibility Study on Prenatal Cardiac Screening Using Four-Dimensional Ultrasound with Spatiotemporal Image Correlation: A Multicenter Study.

Objective: This study aimed at investigating the feasibility of using the spatiotemporal image correlation (STIC) technology for prenatal cardiac screening, finding factors that influence the offline evaluation of reconstructed fetal heart, and establishing an optimal acquisition scheme.

Methods: The study included 452 gravidae presenting for routine screening at 3 maternity centers at 20-38 gestational weeks. The factors influencing the quality of STIC volume data were evaluated using t test, chi-square test, and logistic regression analysis.

[Accuracy of prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart defects by fetal echocardiography: a 7-year experience in a Chinese tertiary obstetric center].

Objective: To evaluate the prenatal diagnostic accuracy of fetal echocardiography for congenital heart defects.

Methods: Fetal echocardiographic databases from 2001 to 2007 were searched for patients with a prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart defect, medical records were obtained and the prenatal echocardiographic findings were correlated with postnatal echocardiography results or autopsy findings, if the pregnancy was terminated or the fetus died in utero.

Results: Prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart defects was made in 113 pregnancies at a mean gestational age of 26.