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Updated: Jun 28, 2025
High Frequency Ultrasound for the Analysis of Fetal and Placental Development In Vivo
Published on: November 8, 2018
Development of a semi-automated tool to measure fetal abdominal wall thickness during ultrasound at 20 weeks'
Suresh Seshadri1, Sindhu Pudhukudi1,2, Jayanti Vajiravelu1
1Mediscan Systems, Chennai, India.
Objectives:
To develop a semi-automated tool for measuring fetal abdominal wall thickness (AWT). To validate the software using images captured by other centers and create a nomogram for fetal AWT between 18 and 20 weeks.
Methods:
A semiautomated tool that measured AWT was developed using images captured at the routine 20-week morphology scan. The software was developed using digital images captured routinely during scans of low-risk women. Inter- and intraobserver reliability was assessed between manual and semi-automated measures. The tool was validated using images acquired from other centers. Linear regression and quadratic polynomials were used to create a nomogram for AWT.
Results:
The semi-automated tool was able to measure AWT in all images. Interoperator reliability was 0.90 and 0.97 (P < 0.05) for manual and semi-automated methods, respectively. Measurement agreement varied between three operators from moderate to excellent (0.77, 0.87, 0.92), with overall agreement being good (0.85). The tool could be successfully applied to 89% of images from other centers. A nomogram was generated for AWT measurements of fetuses at 18-20 weeks in normal, low risk mothers.
Conclusion:
Semi-automated measurement of AWT was feasible using images captured during the routine 20-week scan. This approach had lower inter- and intraobserver variability compared to manual measurement.
