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Interobserver reproducibility of transabdominal 3-dimensional sonography of the fetal brain
Nicola Fratelli1, Fabrizio Taddei, Federico Prefumo
1Maternal-Fetal Medicine Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Brescia, Piazzale Spedali Civili 1, 25123 Brescia, Italy. nicolaf23@gmail.com
Objective:
The purpose of this study was to assess the interobserver reproducibility of transabdominal 3-dimensional (3D) fetal neurosonography.
Methods:
This was a prospective observational study. We studied 23 consecutive singleton pregnancies between 18 and 23 weeks' gestation. All cases had normal fetal neurosonographic examination findings, which were confirmed after birth. A 3D sonographic volume of the fetal head was acquired transabdominally by a single operator using an axial approach. Fetal brain anatomy was later analyzed offline by 2 different operators. Axial, sagittal, and coronal views of the fetal brain were obtained to perform a detailed evaluation of the fetal brain. Each operator defined the scanning planes obtained as adequate or inadequate. Results were evaluated with 2 x 2 tables and the Cohen kappa coefficient to assess interobserver agreement.
Results:
Good-quality multiplanar images were obtained in 23 of 23 cases. The rate of adequate visualization was 100% for all of the axial planes, with kappa values of 1.00. For sagittal and coronal planes, the rate of visualization ranged between 78% and 91%, with kappa values ranging between 0.61 and 0.83.
Conclusions:
Transabdominal 3D sonography of the fetal brain at 18 to 23 weeks' gestation has an acceptable degree of interobserver reproducibility.
