[Prenatal three-vessel and tracheal view: normal features]

Area of Science:

• Medical imaging
• Fetal medicine
• Cardiology

Background:

• Congenital heart disease (CHD) screening often targets low-risk populations, necessitating accessible and reliable methods.
• Current prenatal echocardiography primarily analyzes four chambers and great vessels, with great vessel assessment being complex and requiring multiple views.
• Standardized screening methods for fetal CHD are crucial for early detection and management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the features of the three-vessel and tracheal view for fetal echocardiography.
• To highlight its utility in assessing fetal thoracic structures for congenital heart disease screening.
• To emphasize the role of color Doppler in optimizing this view.

Main Methods:

• Review of anatomical features of the three-vessel and tracheal view.
• Analysis of its application in a single axial section of the fetal thorax.
• Incorporation of color Doppler mode to enhance visualization.

Main Results:

• The three-vessel and tracheal view allows simultaneous assessment of the main pulmonary artery, its branches, ductus arteriosus, aortic arches, superior vena cava, and trachea.
• This view provides an axial section of the fetal thorax, simplifying complex great vessel assessment.
• Color Doppler enhances the visualization and diagnostic information obtained from this view.

Conclusions:

• The three-vessel and tracheal view is a reproducible and easy-to-use method for fetal CHD screening.
• It offers a comprehensive assessment of key thoracic structures in a single view.
• This technique, particularly with color Doppler, improves the efficiency and accuracy of prenatal screening for congenital heart disease.