Introduction Fetal anatomy is three-dimensional (3D). Cross-sections obtained during real-time ultrasound (US) examination are an artificial reduction of anatomy to produce one still image, created to capture a standard view or the essence of a particular pathology. Acquisition of a…
Introduction Assessment of fetal development and screening for congenital anomalies are essential elements of prenatal care. Ultrasound (US) imaging remains the first-line modality because of its convenience, low cost, and wide availability, but it can be limited by several factors,…
Introduction Doppler ultrasound (US) can be used to assess waveform patterns of blood flow in various vascular beds in the maternal, fetal, and placental circulation. The information gained from the analysis of waveforms in combination with clinical factors provides insight…
Introduction Palpation, the technique by which clinicians evaluate a patient by touch, has been fundamental to medical practice for thousands of years. Information about tissue stiffness can provide diagnostic information about the presence or status of disease, or about structural…
Introduction Since its introduction to the medical community in the 1950s, ultrasound (US) has become a widespread imaging modality because of its portability, nonionizing energy, and relatively low cost. This chapter reviews basic physics concepts behind the formation of an…
Introduction A number of maternal perinatal infections result in congenital malformations. Traditionally these diseases were delineated by the acronym TORCH ( t oxoplasmosis, o ther, r ubella, c ytomegalovirus, and h erpes simplex virus). Syphilis has dominated the “other” category,…
Introduction Parvovirus B19 infection during pregnancy is rare, but potentially dangerous. In susceptible mothers, transplacental transmission of parvovirus B19 is possible. If acquired in utero , parvovirus B19 infection can lead to severe fetal anemia and myocarditis. In some instances,…
Introduction Every few years the threat of a “new” infectious disease becomes the center of world attention, producing waves of fear and even mass panic. Until now, at least in the beginning, these diseases affected only adult populations. Although, since…
Cytomegalovirus Sonya S. Abdel-Razeq Introduction The acronym TORCH refers to a group of organisms associated with congenital infections: t oxoplasmosis, o ther (congenital syphilis and viruses), r ubella, c ytomegalovirus (CMV), and h erpes simplex virus (HSV). The approximate number of…
Introduction The number of multiple pregnancies has exponentially increased in the last several decades mainly as a result of women delaying childbearing until they are of advanced maternal age and the expanded use of assisted reproductive techniques. The risk of…