Ultrasonic Texture Analysis in Preterm and Term Fetal Lungs

Extended Abstract Lung immaturity remains the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in preterm and early term neonates We performed a retrospective evaluation of singleton gestations with reliable dating at 20 weeks gestational age between January 2015 and December 2015. A total of 425 fetal lung ultrasound images (313 preterm, 112 term) were analyzed. A region of interest (ROI) was selected in each fetal lung image at the level of the four heart chambers, from an area which appeared most representative of the overall lung tissue and had the least shadow. Ultrasonic tissue heterogeneity (heterogeneity index, HI) was determined for all lung images. This quantification was performed with a custom-made software program Quantitative ultrasound texture analysis can detect the histologic changes that occur in fetal lung tissue as gestation advances. Specifically, decreased tissue heterogeneity on ultrasound is associated with preterm fetal lung tissue