Malaysian doctors back 2-D ultrasound

Ultrasound specialists and obstetricians in Malaysia are complaining that the publicity surrounding three-dimensional ultrasound implies that two-dimensional technology is obsolete, “engendering tremendous anxiety among both patients and doctors,” according to an article in the New Straits Times.

These physicians point out that development in recent years of high-resolution 2-D probes and color Doppler ultrasound has enabled doctors to obtain images of the fetus with better clarity. Consequently, doctors are able to diagnose fetal abnormalities earlier in the pregnancy with greater confidence.

“Conventional 2-D ultrasound remains the primary method for detection of fetal abnormalities,” said Dr. Ravi Chandran, president of the Malaysian Society of Ultrasound in Medicine. “Three-D ultrasound is a developing technology and has yet to be shown to be superior to 2-D ultrasound in this respect.”