Doppler examination of the fetal pulmonary venous circulation

Abstract

The assessment of the pulmonary venous system in the fetus has evolved dramatically in the past decade due to the routine use of spectral and color Doppler ultrasound. Besides checking the normal connection of pulmonary veins during fetal echocardiography, the interest in these veins has increased recently in order to get insight into the mystery of the pulmonary circulation in the human fetus in vivo. Physiologic conditions and changes during pregnancy have been assessed and have allowed the comparison with data under abnormal conditions. This chapter briefly reviews the clinical value of Doppler assessment of pulmonary veins. © 2005 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.