Ultrasound imaging in three and four dimensions

Three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of ultrasound images was first demonstrated nearly 15 years ago, but only now is becoming a clinical reality. In the meantime, methods for 3D reconstruction of CT and MRI images have achieved an advanced state of development, and 3D imaging with these modalities has been applied widely in clinical practice. 3D applications in ultrasound have lagged behind CT and MRI, because ultrasound data is much more difficult to render in 3D, for a variety of technical reasons, than either CT or MRI data. Only in the past few years has the computing power of ultrasound equipment reached a level adequate enough for the complex signal processing tasks needed to render ultrasound data in three dimensions. At this point in time, the clinical application of 3D ultrasound is likely to advance rapidly, as improved 3D rendering technology becomes more widely available. This article is a review of the present status of 3D ultrasound imaging. It begins by comparing the characteristics of CT, MRI, and ultrasound image data that either make these data amenable or not amenable to 3D reconstruction. The article then considers the technical features involved with acquiring an ultrasound 3D data set and the mechanisms for reconstructing the images. Finally, the article reviews the literature that is available regarding clinical application of 3D ultrasound in obstetrics, ultrasound, the abdomen, and blood vessels.