Objective: To present the appearance of the fetal akinesia deformation sequence by three-dimensional ultrasonography after four-dimensional ultrasonographic scanning.
Methods: Three-dimensional surface-rendering images were used to show the fixed postural abnormalities of the fetal extremities and body. Four-dimensional ultrasonography was used to show that the postural abnormalities were fixed and to confirm the absence of fetal movements. These images were compared with the postmortem examination findings.
Results: Three-dimensional ultrasonographic images of 3 cases of fetal akinesia deformation sequence are presented. Surface-rendering imaging and imaging in the skeletal mode were performed to show the postural abnormalities and the arthrogryposis.
Conclusions: Facilitated by polyhydramnios, three- and four-dimensional ultrasonography provided clear images of the fixed postural abnormalities, which were confirmed by postmortem examination. Although prenatal diagnosis can be easily made by conventional ultrasonography, three-dimensional ultrasonography might be used as a confirmatory approach. In addition, the quality of recent three-dimensional imaging might help prenatal counseling by providing images more readily understandable to the parents than those obtained by two-dimensional ultrasonography.