Routine Screening for Callosal Dysgenesis in the Second Trimester Is Achievable With Intensive Training

Area of Science:

• Medical imaging
• Fetal ultrasonography
• Neurosonography

Background:

• The corpus callosum is a critical brain structure evaluated during prenatal screening.
• Direct visualization of the corpus callosum during routine second-trimester sonography can be challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of routine direct visualization of the corpus callosum during second-trimester sonography.
• To determine the impact of intensive training on corpus callosum visualization rates.
• To evaluate the time required to obtain sagittal corpus callosum images.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study design.
• Evaluation of 150 second-trimester sonographic scans before and after intensive training.
• Assessment of corpus callosum image quality and visualization rates.

Main Results:

• Complete visualization of the corpus callosum increased significantly after training (23% to 71%, P < .0001).
• The mean time to obtain corpus callosum views remained similar before (53.4 seconds) and after (56.2 seconds) training.
• Intensive training led to a substantial improvement in the detection rate of the corpus callosum.

Conclusions:

• Direct sagittal view of the corpus callosum is achievable during routine second-trimester sonography with appropriate training.
• This visualization can be accomplished without adding significant time to the examination.
• Improved visualization of the corpus callosum provides valuable additional information for fetal morphologic scans.