Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Professor of Radiodiagnosis, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
2
Lecturer of Radiodiagnosis, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt;
3
Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, International Islamic Centre for Population Studies and Research, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
4
MBBCh, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
https://doi.org/10.21608/aimj.2025.446579
Abstract
Background: Although routine scanning is increasingly being offered during the first trimester, especially in high-resource countries, routine ultrasound examination is still most typically conducted in the second trimester if resources and access are available as part of prenatal care.
Aim and objectives: To compare the efficacy of 2D and 4D ultrasonography in the assessment and diagnosis of congenital abnormalities in the developing foetus throughout the first and second trimesters of pregnancy.
Subjects and methods: From November 2023 through November 2024, the radiodiagnosis department at Al-Hussein hospital, Al-Azhar University, conducted a cross-sectional study on 200 pregnant women at high risk during the first and second trimesters.
Results: Fifty pregnant women were evaluated using 2D and 4D ultrasound scans, and 52 abnormalities were found. In 13% of cases, 4D-US outperforms 2D-US; in 30%, the results are similar; and in 17% of cases, there is less information. Only in cases of specific facial and limb abnormalities was 4D-US useful.
Conclusion: The findings underscore the added diagnostic value of 4D-US in prenatal screening, particularly in high-risk pregnancies. While 2D-US remains the primary screening modality, the superior sensitivity and specificity of 4D-US support its role as an adjunctive imaging tool, enhancing early detection and improving perinatal outcomes.
Keywords
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