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There is a good agreement between SV measured either by 2D Doppler or by 4D STIC. The 4D STIC represents a simple and rapid technique to estimate fetal SV and promises to become the method of choice.

Objective To establish the potential role of threedimensional (3D)

Objective: To prospectively analyze theaccuracy and rapidity of four-dimensional (4D) ultrasonography with spatiotemporal image correlation (STIC) in the assessment of four-chamber view and outflow tracts in unselected fetuses and in fetuses with congenital heart defects (CHD) at 19–23 weeksof gestation. Materials and Methods: 112 consecutive pregnancies undergoing routine second-trimester ultrasonographic scan and 10 pregnancies with fetuses with CHD affecting the great arteries formed the study group. From the four-chamber view, volumes of the fetal heart were acquired by the STIC technique and stored for a later offline analysis that was performed by two examiners blinded to the characteristics of the fetuses. Offline analysis was performed using a simplified multiplanar approach based on 3 different steps and one rotation finalized to visualize the four-chamber view and the left and right outflow tracts. Results: Adequate recognition of four-chamber view and outflow tracts was obtained in more than 80% of the volumes. There were no false-positives and only one observer had a false-negative (interrupted aortic arch classified as normal). The mean time required to interpret 4D volumes was 3.7 min. Conclusions: The standard fetal cardiac anatomy survey can be performed in the second-trimester fetus by 4D STIC in both normal and abnormal hearts. This approach may reduce the operator’s dependency in diagnosis of CHD.

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