Normality curve of fetal cardiac and fetal lung volume during the gestation by 3D ultrasound.

To develop one fetal cardiac volume normality curve and evaluate its behavior during a normal gestation, using a tri-dimensional ultrasound technique. Mainly the fetal cardiac diseases have as an initial presentation an alteration to its volume. These changes are analyzed normally using numerical relations between thoracic perimeter and cardiac perimeter. The 3D technique allows determining its real volume and producing true concepts about one elevated cardiac volume. It was studied 30 patients with gestation age starting at 20 week in a longitudinal evaluation. All patients had an evaluation in first trimester to determine its real gestation age. It was obtained tri-dimensional thoracic blocs for a posterior study using the softwares 3D view for multiplanar purpose and VOCAL for volume purpose. It was possible obtain a normality curve for cardiac volume. It presented as an ascendant curve represented by a polynomial formula of sixth grade with a very low variation. The curve presented an ascendant growing with a linear acceleration. Its acceleration showed to be decreased after the 36th week. Even though we could represent it using a linear formula, it was most according using a polynomial formula of sixth grade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]