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Updated: Jan 11, 2026
Murine Fetal Echocardiography
Published on: February 15, 2013
Detection of isolated fetal limb anomalies using 3D/4D ultrasound
Eberhard Merz1, Sonila Pashaj2
1Centre for Ultrasound and Prenatal Medicine, Zeil. 113, Frankfurt/Main 60313, Hesse, Germany.
Objectives:
Demonstration of the advantage of 3D/4D ultrasound compared to 2D imaging in the precise detection and parental counseling of isolated fetal limb defects.
Methods:
Prospective observational study of 201 fetal limb defects over a 30-year period (1994-2023) in a level III center.
Results:
Comparison of 2D and 3D ultrasound showed a benefit in the precise demonstration of isolated limb abnormalities in 154 of the 201 cases (76.6 %), particularly in subtle malformations. In the demonstration of the defects to the parents-to-be, 3D/4D ultrasound was superior to 2D ultrasound in 100 % of cases by the fact that the abnormalities could be better understood by the parents when using a spatial presentation.
Conclusions:
3D/4D ultrasound is superior to 2D sonography in the demonstration of isolated limb defects, particularly in subtle limb defects.
