Fetal Intelligent Navigation Echocardiography PRB

#FINEeducation: When a color Doppler signal is visualized on ultrasound, this does not always indicate blood flow, but can also be associated with movement. Did you know that color Doppler provides a method to identify a fetal pericardial effusion during the second and third trimesters? This sonographic image shows the four-chamber view and a left sided pericardial effusion (A). When color Doppler is applied (B), notice there is a signal in red color (towards the transducer) within the pericardial space that is opposite to the direction of blood entering the ventricles in blue (away from the transducer). This method was reported by Professors DeVore and Horenstein (see second image). In this study, color Doppler signals were not identified within the pericardial space in 50 control fetuses. However, fetuses with a pericardial effusion did show a color Doppler signal within the pericardial space that was opposite to the direction of blood flow within the ventricles. As the ventricles distended during diastole, movement of pericardial fluid was from the apex towards the atrioventricular junction at the base of the heart. However, during ventricular systole, pericardial fluid moves from the atrioventricular junction towards the apex of the ventricle. Based on these observations, the authors’ view is that color Doppler should be the method of choice to evaluate the pericardial space.

To learn more about the value of color Doppler imaging in fetal cardiac examination, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu8ps...

#FetalheartEducation #FetalIntelligentNavigationEchocardiography #colorDoppler #colorDopplerfetalheart #pericardialeffusion #fetalheart #fetalheartultrasound #fetalecho #fetalechocardiography #5dheart

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4 days ago | [YT] | 2

Fetal Intelligent Navigation Echocardiography PRB

#FINEhistoricalfacts: We celebrate the life and career of Vivien Thomas, whose achievements show the power of research and discovery to change lives. He played a major role in developing the procedure known as the Blalock-Taussig-Thomas shunt used to treat congenital heart disease. Born in Louisiana in 1910, Thomas worked as an orderly in a private infirmary to raise money for college. In 1929, he enrolled as a premedical student, but had to drop out of school due to the loss of college savings during the Great Depression. In 1930, Thomas worked at Vanderbilt University as a laboratory assistant with the surgeon, Dr. Alfred Blalock. Thomas rapidly mastered complex surgical techniques and research methodology, and was asked by Dr. Blalock to follow him to Johns Hopkins in 1941. Thomas was tasked with creating a cyanotic condition in a dog, then correcting the condition via a pulmonary to subclavian anastomosis. Remarkably in 1944, Thomas stood on a step stool behind Dr. Blalock, coaching the surgeon through the first such procedure in a human (a 15-month-old infant named Eileen Saxon). Thomas was a member of the medical school faculty from 1976 until 1985 and was presented with the degree of Honorary Doctor of Laws by Johns Hopkins University in 1976. To learn more about Vivien Thomas, you can watch the movie “Something the Lord Made”, as well as the documentary “Partners of the Heart”.

#fetalheart #congenitalheartdisease #cardiacdefects #pediatriccardiology #tetralogyofFallot #FetalIntelligentNavigationEchocardiography #5dheart #vivienthomas

1 week ago | [YT] | 7

Fetal Intelligent Navigation Echocardiography PRB

Answer to #FINEimageofday (see image posted last week): Dextroposition due to CPAM (congenital pulmonary airway malformation). Dextroposition describes the condition when the fetal heart is located in the right thoracic cavity, and the cardiac apex points medially or to the left. It usually occurs because of extra-cardiac factors (e.g. space-occupying lesion or mass in the left thoracic cavity), such as the CPAM highlighted in red color here, pleural effusion, or diaphragmatic hernia. Dextroposition may also be seen when there is right lung agenesis. When performing sonographic examination of the fetal heart, besides examining the fetal cardiac axis, it is important to also examine the fetal cardiac position.

#fetaldextroposition #fetalCPAM #FetalheartEducation #FetalIntelligentNavigationEchocardiography #fetalheart #fetalheartultrasound #fetalecho #fetalechocardiography #5dheart

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 10

Fetal Intelligent Navigation Echocardiography PRB

#FINEimageofday: This is an axial view of the chest of a fetus that is in vertex presentation. The fetal left and right sides are labeled. What is the best term to describe the fetal cardiac position? Stay tuned for the answer (provided at next week’s post!)

#FetalheartEducation #FetalIntelligentNavigationEchocardiography #fetalheart #fetalheartultrasound #fetalecho #fetalechocardiography #5dheart

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 9

Fetal Intelligent Navigation Echocardiography PRB

#FINEScience: In this study, the authors investigated the performance of the FINE method in generating three abnormal cardiac views (left ventricular outflow tract or LVOT, right ventricular outflow tract or RVOT, and 3-vessel and trachea or 3VT) used to screen for D-transposition of the great arteries (D-TGA). In the general population, the prenatal detection rate of D-TGA is poor (<20%). FINE was applied to STIC (spatiotemporal image correlation) volume data sets of 28 second and third trimester fetuses with D-TGA, and successfully generated the abnormal cardiac views in the following manner: 1) 75% for LVOT; 2) 89.2% for RVOT; and 3) 85.7% for 3VT. The mean time to obtain the diagnostic views was 1 minute, 28 seconds. Moreover, 85.7% of the STIC volume data sets showed 2 or 3 of the abnormal cardiac views. Therefore, the investigators concluded that in cases of D-TGA, the FINE method has a high success rate in generating 3 specific abnormal cardiac views and therefore, can be performed to screen for this cardiac defect.

The Figure shows VIS-Assistance (Virtual Intelligent Sonographer Assistance) of the FINE method being applied to the five-chamber (A) and LVOT views (C) of a fetus with D-TGA. The VIS-Assistance images (B and D) both demonstrate a great vessel with bifurcation originating from the morphologic left ventricle.

To learn more about VIS-Assistance and its benefits, go to this PLAYLIST: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIrwH...

#transpositiongreatarteries #congenitalheartdisease #fetalheart #fetalechocardiography #FetalIntelligentNavigationEchocardiography #fetalecho #fetalheartultrasound #fetalultrasonography #fetalultrasound #5dheart

1 month ago | [YT] | 12

Fetal Intelligent Navigation Echocardiography PRB

#FINEHolidays: On Monday, September 7, 2026, we celebrate Labor Day in the United States. On June 28, 1894, Congress passed an act making the first Monday of September a national holiday every year. This day celebrates the social and economic achievements of American workers. Labor Day also marks the unofficial end of summer, and is celebrated with picnics, parades, festivals, travel, and of course, shopping. Fun Fact: Did you know that Labor Day is also the unofficial end of Hot Dog season? According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, Americans eat 7 BILLION hot dogs between Memorial Day and Labor Day - that's a lot of dogs! Enjoy the day everyone! The photo below shows a woman aircraft worker checking electrical assemblies (source: Library of Congress).

#workers #laborday #FetalIntelligentNavigationEchocardiography #5dheart #fetalheart #fetalheartultrasound #fetalechocardiography #fetalecho

1 month ago | [YT] | 6

Fetal Intelligent Navigation Echocardiography PRB

#FINEeducation: Did you know that color Doppler imaging may be a valuable tool to evaluate fetal cardiac anatomy (especially atrio-ventricular and ventriculo-arterial connections) in overweight or obese patients? Investigators have reported that the sonographic visualization of fetal anatomy (such as the heart) is adversely affected by the presence AND degree of maternal obesity. For example, Professor Hendler and colleagues conducted a study (see second and third images) to examine the impact of maternal obesity on the rate of suboptimal ultrasound visualization of fetal anatomy, including the heart. Patients were classified into 4 groups based on their body mass index (or BMI): Normal weight, Class I obesity, Class II obesity, and Class III obesity. The median gestational age of the study population was 19 weeks. With each advancing category of maternal obesity, there is a progressive INCREASE in the rate of suboptimal visualization of the fetal heart.

To learn more about this study and the value of color Doppler imaging in fetal cardiac examination, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu8ps...

#FetalheartEducation #FetalIntelligentNavigationEchocardiography #colorDoppler #colorDopplerfetalheart #fetalheart #fetalheartultrasound #fetalecho #fetalechocardiography #5dheart

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1 month ago | [YT] | 7

Fetal Intelligent Navigation Echocardiography PRB

#FINELearning: Did you know that STIC (spatiotemporal image correlation) volume acquisition can be incorporated into the daily practice of ultrasound centers? In the first study by Professor Giuseppe Rizzo and colleagues (see second image), STIC volumes were acquired successfully in 94.8% (474/500) of pregnancies by centers performing routine obstetric sonography. Importantly, sonographers had no specific experience with fetal echocardiography, and attended only a one-day training program on how to obtain STIC volumes of the fetal heart. In the second study by Professor Uittenbogaard and colleagues (see third image), they reported that incorporating STIC volume acquisition into the daily practice of a fetal echocardiography program is feasible. Moreover, sonographers do not have to be specifically experienced in 3- or 4-dimensional ultrasound imaging to acquire high-quality STIC volumes. STIC volume acquisition was successful in 75.7% (112/148) of cases in which it was attempted.

You can learn more about how to acquire cardiac volumes for sonographic examination of the fetal heart in our 2 freely available papers: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27091914/ AND pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27091912/

You can also watch Videos 4, 5, and 6 (on STIC volumes) from our YouTube Series.

#STIC #spatiotemporalimagecorrelation #fetalcardiacvolumes #FetalheartEducation #fetalheart #fetalheartultrasound #fetalecho #fetalechocardiography #FetalIntelligentNavigationEchocardiography #5dheart

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1 month ago | [YT] | 11

Fetal Intelligent Navigation Echocardiography PRB

Test your knowledge with #FINEQuiz: All of the following congenital heart defects may present with a normal fetal four-chamber view EXCEPT for which one?

#FetalheartEducation #FetalIntelligentNavigationEchocardiography #congenitalheartdisease #conotruncal #5dheart #fetalheart #fetalheartultrasound #fetalecho #fetalechocardiography

1 month ago | [YT] | 7

Fetal Intelligent Navigation Echocardiography PRB

#FINEhistoricalfacts: We celebrate the life and career of Dr. William J. Rashkind, known as the "Father" of Interventional Cardiology. Born in New Jersey, he received his medical degree from the University of Louisville, Kentucky. After graduation, he studied cardiovascular physiology at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Eventually, he founded CHOP's (Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania) Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. Dr. Rashkind created the first interventional procedure for congenital heart defects, known as the "Rashkind procedure" (balloon atrial septostomy). This was first published in JAMA in 1966 (see second image). The Figure depicts the special balloon-tipped catheter, with the tip magnified in both deflated and inflated positions. The Rashkind balloon atrial septostomy (see third image) is performed during cardiac catheterization, in which a balloon catheter is positioned in the left atrium, is inflated, and quickly withdrawn into the right atrium to create a tear in the atrial septum. This creates a shunt at the atrial level in addition to the open ductus arteriosus, to provide stable arterial oxygen saturation. Dr. Rashkind will always be remembered as a pioneer who transformed the treatment of congenital heart defects.

#fetalheart #congenitalheartdisease #cardiacdefects #transpositiongreatvessels #Rashkindprocedure #FetalIntelligentNavigationEchocardiography

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2 months ago | [YT] | 9