Imaging Techniques & Protocols Flashcards

Which scan plane in fetal echocardiography demonstrates both great arteries crossing each other in their normal relationship?

Answer: Short-axis view at the great vessel level

The short-axis view at the level of the great vessels shows the pulmonary artery wrapping around the circular aortic root, demonstrating their normal crossing relationship.

In the three-vessel and trachea (3VT) view, the normal left-to-right arrangement of structures from the fetal perspective is:

Answer: Pulmonary artery, aorta, superior vena cava

In the standard 3VT view, from the fetal left to right the order is pulmonary artery (largest), aorta, then superior vena cava (smallest).

Which imaging artifact can mimic a ventricular septal defect (VSD) on 2D echocardiography?

Answer: Dropout artifact due to beam parallel to the septum

Dropout artifact occurs when the ultrasound beam strikes a tissue interface at a perpendicular angle, causing apparent absence of the septum and mimicking a VSD.

Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) in fetal echocardiography primarily measures:

Answer: Myocardial wall motion velocities

TDI uses low-velocity, high-amplitude Doppler shifts to quantify myocardial wall motion velocities rather than blood flow.

When should harmonic imaging be preferred over fundamental imaging in fetal echocardiography?

Answer: In patients with technically difficult windows, such as posterior placenta or increased BMI

Harmonic imaging improves endocardial border definition and reduces clutter in technically challenging patients by using second-harmonic frequencies.

The normal peak systolic velocity in the fetal middle cerebral artery (MCA) is used in conjunction with fetal echocardiography to assess for:

Answer: Fetal anemia and high-output cardiac states

Elevated MCA peak systolic velocity (>1.5 MoM) indicates fetal anemia, which causes increased cardiac output detectable on echocardiography.

Which view best demonstrates the relationship of the inferior vena cava and hepatic veins entering the right atrium?

Answer: Bicaval sagittal view

The bicaval sagittal view displays both the superior and inferior vena cava draining into the right atrium, including hepatic venous confluence.