3D-4D Morphological Ultrasound

It is usually performed between the 19th and 22nd week of gestation completed and is aimed at the study of fetal anatomy. This is evaluated for organs and systems according to an organic protocol well highlighted by guidelines of national and international scientific societies.

The examination, if conducted according to these criteria, assumes the value of a screening test for congenital and acquired anomalies. Its diagnostic capacity varies for systems and individual pathologies, with more noteworthy results for the central nervous system, the gastrointestinal and urinary tract and less significant with regard to the heart and diseases affecting the skeleton. Overall, it can be said that a screening test conducted in this way is able to highlight 50% of the malformations, often the most serious.

The sensitivity of the method is inevitably linked to the specialist’s preparation, the quality of the equipment used and particular variables such as the position of the fetus and the thickness of the maternal abdominal wall. Obesity as well as previous scars and the thickness of the muscle and fat component can represent an important obstacle to the overall diagnostic ability of the method. The detection of anomalies leads to a more advanced diagnostic protocol, which differs for each individual pathology.