Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 3, 2026
Pioneering Patient-Specific Approaches for Precision Surgery Using Imaging and Virtual Reality
Published on: April 5, 2024
Using virtual reality for evaluation of fetal ambiguous genitalia
C M Verwoerd-Dikkeboom1, A H J Koning, I A L Groenenberg
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. c.verwoerd@erasmusmc.nl
Virtual reality (VR) enhances the visualization of fetal ambiguous genitalia, improving prenatal diagnosis accuracy. VR systems offer superior depth perception for anatomical structures compared to traditional 2D and 3D ultrasound.
Area of Science:
- Medical imaging
- Fetal medicine
- Virtual reality applications
Background:
- Prenatal diagnosis of fetal ambiguous genitalia presents challenges with standard ultrasound techniques.
- Three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound data can be visualized using virtual reality (VR) systems for improved spatial understanding.
Observation:
- Four cases of fetal ambiguous genitalia were assessed using 2D and 3D ultrasound.
- 3D ultrasound volumes were visualized in the BARCO I-Space virtual reality system for stereoscopic holographic projection.
Findings:
- Prenatal diagnosis using 2D ultrasound alone was inconclusive in all cases.
- 3D surface rendering offered some insight but led to incorrect diagnoses in three cases.
- Virtual reality evaluation of 3D ultrasound data provided the most accurate prenatal assessment, matching postpartum diagnoses.
Implications:
- Virtual reality systems, particularly the I-Space, improve the assessment of fetal ambiguous genitalia by enhancing depth perception.
- VR's ability to improve visualization of anatomical structures has potential applications beyond fetal anomalies.
More Related Videos
07:04A Novel Use of Three-dimensional High-frequency Ultrasonography for Early Pregnancy Characterization in the Mouse
Published on: October 24, 2017
09:51Model Surgical Training: Skills Acquisition in Fetoscopic Laser Photocoagulation of Monochorionic Diamniotic Twin Placenta Using Realistic Simulators
Published on: March 21, 2018