Three-dimensional ultrasound with surface rendering for the study of fetal small parts.

The purpose of this article is to report that the use of three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound with surface rendering offers advantage in fetal small parts evaluation. Compared with two-dimensional (2D) ultrasonography, three-dimensional ultrasonography provides a better spatial vision of the surface and anatomic boundary of different embryonal and fetal organs and structures. Visualization of an embryo or fetus in all space planes with surface rendering allows a more detailed evaluation of external fetal structures that could easily be missed with 2D ultrasonography. The advent of 3D ultrasound has dramatically improved clinical prenatal diagnosis of small parts anomalies. We anticipate that 3D ultrasonography will be used more widely in obstetrics.