3D or 3-D?

[Emily Cotlier <Cotlier -at- JBLSMTP -dot- PHL -dot- LRPUB -dot- COM>]

I'm a medical editor interested in techincal writing. Right now, I'm trying to
find the correct way to copy-edit the term "three-dimensional" in a
medical paper. This paper describes the medical uses of two different
ultrasound technologies, one producing two-dimensional images, and
one, of course, that creates three-dimensional images.

The author has these terms abbreviated as "2D" and "3D", and written in
full as "2-Dimensional" and "3-Dimensional". Is this correct? If not, what
do the readers of this list recommend to refer to a current technology? I
feel that the abbreviation may be OK, but I am dubious about the full
terms, especially with that inappropriate capitalization used constantly.
None of my available style guides (all medical, of course) have anything
about this term.

I appreciate any replies or thoughts! Please reply in private if desired to
cotlier -at- phl -dot- lrpub -dot- com

Thanks,

Emily Cotlier

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