Review article
ULTRASOUND EXAMINATION OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY PALATE
Giovanni Centini
; Prenatal Diagnosis Centre, Dept. Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, Siena University, Centre for Fetal and Perinatal Medicine
Lucia Rosignoli
; Prenatal Diagnosis Centre, Dept. Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, Siena University, Centre for Fetal and Perinatal Medicine
Mario Lituania
; Dept. Genetics, Perinatal Medicine and Gynecology, Galliera Hospital, Genoa, Italy
Abstract
The new 3-4D technologies offer a particular and precise study of some anatomical parts otherwise difficult or impossible to visualize with the traditional 2-D technique. The study of the secondary palate, hard and soft palate of the uvula, in the last two years gained much attention by the researchers because the 3-D ultrasound allows visualizing the secondary palate. Based on the personal experience, the authors illustrate the scan technique of the secondary palate by 3-D ultrasound in sagittal, coronal and axial plane (multiplanar view) with 3D reconstruction, introducing some new possibilities of 3D scan like Tomographic Ultrasound Imaging (TUI) technique. Comparing different technical methods, authors are convinced that most useful is depiction of the palate in the 3-D axial and sagittal plane beginning from the first trimester of pregnancy, but the best results are achieved between the 18 and 25 weeks of gestation. The time needed to render the 3-D image is usually few minutes. The quality of the scan depends, as for the any other 3-D scan, on the fetal position and maternal weight. The association of the facial and palate clefting with chromosomopathies and genetic syndromes which is difficult to depict by 2-D ultrasound, will prompt the investigators to visualize the secondary palate by 3-D scan from the first trimester of pregnancy.
Keywords
cleft lip; cleft palate; 3-D ultrasound; prenatal diagnosis
Hrčak ID:
23522
URI
Publication date:
1.3.2008.
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