Measurement of the lateral ventricles in the neonatal head: comparison of 2-D and 3-D techniques.

Neonatal cranial ultrasound is routinely performed to screen preterm infants for complications of prematurity. A key component of this examination is the measurement of the lateral ventricles to identify and monitor ventriculomegaly. This study assesses the two-dimensional (2-D) interobserver error of neonatal cranial lateral ventricle measurements on 40 neonates who were undergoing cranial ultrasound in the neonatal intensive care unit. Three-dimensional (3-D) volumes were obtained using a matrix transducer. Lateral ventricle (LV) measurements were subsequently measured on a departmental 3-D workstation by two workstation sonographers. The interobserver error of this technique was calculated and compared with the conventional 2-D technique. Both techniques demonstrated acceptable interobserver variability although the established 2-D technique had less variation. This identifies a potential role for 3-D analysis in the neonatal cranial ultrasound examination. It also affirms the potential of 3-D ultrasound in performing similar small measurements in other clinical settings.