Feasibility of Transabdominal Real-time CDFI and HDFI Techniques for Fetal Pulmonary Vein Display in the First Trimester.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess the feasibility and usefulness of transabdominal color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) technology and the high-definition flow imaging (HDFI) technique in detecting fetal pulmonary veins (PVs) in the first trimester (11-13 weeks).

METHODS

From December 2018 to October 2019, 328 pregnant women with 328 normal singleton fetuses (crown-rump length: 45-84 mm) who had undergone CDFI and HDFI scans for fetal heart and vessel examination were enrolled in this study. The cases were divided into three groups according to the gestational age: group A, 11 -11 weeks; group B, 12 -12 weeks; and group C, 13 -13 weeks. Baseline sonograms and CDFI and HDFI images were analyzed by two senior radiologists independently and blindly. The abilities of CDFI and HDFI to display PVs were compared.

RESULTS

Successful PV display rates via CDFI and HDFI were 2.3% and 68.2% (P<0.01), 22.4% and 82.4% (P<0.01), 41.5% and 91.2% (P<0.01) for group A, group B, and group C, respectively. The total successful display rates for the two methods were 28.9% (CDFI) and 84.8% (HDFI) (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The HDFI technique is more valuable than CDFI for detecting PVs in early pregnancy (11-13 weeks). HDFI can detect at least one PV in all cases and may be used to detect pulmonary venous anomalies early.