[Three-dimensional ultrasonography in obstetrics and gynecology]

Medical ultrasound has during the last decades experienced enormous technological progress, and in obstetrics and gynaecology it has become an integral part of the clinical work. Within the last years several new ultrasound techniques have appeared. Three-dimensional ultrasound scanning (3DUS), in which there has been great interest, is one of them. Especially within obstetrics and gynaecology several papers on that topic describe promising results. Foetal diagnostics relying on morphological signs and accurate distance and volume measurements is one of the areas, believed to benefit from 3DUS. However, until now only few prospective works have been published, most of them counted as preliminary. One of the main reasons might be the huge technological challenge. It is proposed that technological progress over the next few years will allow feasible real-time 3D scanning. Thereby obstetrical and gynaecological ultrasound scanning will undoubtedly take another giant leap forward.