XI VOCAL (eXtended Imaging VOCAL): a new modality for three-dimensional sonographic volume measurement

The important technological evolutions that three-dimensional ultrasonography devices have gone through in the last years have brought great benefits for the volumetric measurement of fetal organs and structures. In clinical practice, three-dimensional volumetry has helped to identify abnormalities in fetal compartment and other related organs, assisting in the diagnosis and risk estimation of several pathological conditions in fetal medicine. The authors describe a new methodology for volumetric calculation through three-dimensional ultrasonography called eXtended Imaging VOCAL (XI VOCAL), which is part of the software Three-dimensional eXtended Imaging (3DXI). This software virtualizes real organs, by analyzing the volume through a diagram of slice sections (Multi-slice view) that simultaneously shows a sequence of images in parallel planes, and establishes the volume of the organ. Because of the importance of accurate volumetric measurements in obstetric ultrasonography, a new method allowing this measurement should be regarded as of great interest.