Sonar fetal cephalometry: comparison of bistable with gray scale and real-time techniques

The fetal biparietal diameter was measured simultaneously with B-scan bistable and gray scale techniques and subsequently with real-time ultrasonography. Measurements were made from outer table to outer table with the bistable technique, which has been proven to be accurate and reliable. With the gray scale and real-time modalities, distances were measured between several landmarks from the same image. Off all measurements taken from gray scale and realtime images, those between the centers of each band outlining the fetal skull showed the best correlation and the closest values to measurements using the standard bistable technique. Discrepancies exceeded 2 mm in only 5% with the gray scale and in 2% with the real-time technique. Using the measurement between outer and inner aspects of the cephalic band, the percentages of discrepancies exceeding 2 mm were 7% with gray scale and 6% with real time.