Assessment of brain vascularization and blood flow in human fetus using quantitative three-dimensional power Doppler sonography

3D ultrasound technologies were applied to evaluate the fetal brain perfusion in normal human fetuses and to detect the presence of vascular dominance in the hemispheres of fetal brain. 65 normal fetuses of gestational age ranging from 21 to 40 weeks were studied, using a 3D real time ultrasound equipment, that supports volume contrast imaging technology. In the brain hemispheres of each sample, vascularization index, flow index and vascularization-flow index were calculated by a built-in-sofware. The values of these indexes of overall brain perfusion showed a slight increase from 21 to 40 weeks of gestational age, but the indexes of the left hemispheres were significantly higher than those of the right hemispheres.