This white paper explores the use of MV-Flow™ and LumiFlow™ technologies in enhancing fetal brain ultrasound, specifically for visualizing the pericallosal artery (PCA) as an early marker of corpus callosum development. Conducted at Hospital Universitari Dexeus in Barcelona, the study involved 70 pregnant patients scanned between 11 and 13+6 weeks using the Samsung HERA W10 ultrasound system.
Traditional fetal Doppler ultrasound and power Doppler often fail to clearly depict the PCA, especially in the first trimester. This study evaluates whether MV-Flow™ and LumiFlow™ can overcome these limitations by providing clearer, more sensitive imaging of microvascular structures. Scans were performed transabdominally in the midsagittal plane to assess the PCA from origin to termination.
In nearly all cases, the pericallosal artery was successfully visualized with MV-Flow™ and LumiFlow™, with improved resolution and vascular mapping compared to power Doppler. The technologies enabled the assessment of PCA length (from 5.47 mm at 12 weeks to 6.4 mm at 13 weeks) and its full curvilinear course. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of assessing corpus callosum-related vasculature during the first trimester ultrasound, much earlier than typically possible with conventional imaging.
The paper concludes that combining MV-Flow™ and LumiFlow™ offers significant improvements in fetal CNS imaging, particularly for evaluating midline cerebral vasculature, which may act as an indirect marker for early corpus callosum development.
For further insights, watch the webinar How Z20 helps me scanning fetal heart and brain by Prof. Daniele Di Mascio.
