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Gu B, Stevenson GN, Ferreira A, Pathirana S, Sanderson J, Henry A, Alphonse J, Welsh AW. Applying spatial-temporal image correlation to the fetal kidney: Repeatability of 3D segmentation and volumetric impedance indices. Australas J Ultrasound Med 2018; 21:169-178. [DOI: 10.1002/ajum.12094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Bonita Gu
- School of Women's and Children's Health; University of New South Wales; Randwick New South Wales Australia
| | - Gordon N. Stevenson
- School of Women's and Children's Health; University of New South Wales; Randwick New South Wales Australia
| | - Ana Ferreira
- School of Women's and Children's Health; University of New South Wales; Randwick New South Wales Australia
| | - Sudeshni Pathirana
- School of Women's and Children's Health; University of New South Wales; Randwick New South Wales Australia
| | - Jennifer Sanderson
- School of Women's and Children's Health; University of New South Wales; Randwick New South Wales Australia
- Department of Maternal-Fetal Medicine; Royal Hospital for Women; Locked Bag 2000, Barker Street Randwick New South Wales 2031 Australia
| | - Amanda Henry
- School of Women's and Children's Health; University of New South Wales; Randwick New South Wales Australia
- Department of Maternal-Fetal Medicine; Royal Hospital for Women; Locked Bag 2000, Barker Street Randwick New South Wales 2031 Australia
- Women's and Children's Health; St George Hospital; Kogarah New South Wales Australia
| | - Jennifer Alphonse
- School of Women's and Children's Health; University of New South Wales; Randwick New South Wales Australia
| | - Alec W. Welsh
- School of Women's and Children's Health; University of New South Wales; Randwick New South Wales Australia
- Department of Maternal-Fetal Medicine; Royal Hospital for Women; Locked Bag 2000, Barker Street Randwick New South Wales 2031 Australia
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Hindryckx A, Raaijmakers A, Levtchenko E, Allegaert K, De Catte L. Analysis of renal blood flow and renal volume in normal fetuses and in fetuses with a solitary functioning kidney. Prenat Diagn 2017; 37:1213-1218. [PMID: 29023893 DOI: 10.1002/pd.5167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2017] [Revised: 09/25/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate renal blood flow and renal volume for the prediction of postnatal renal function in fetuses with solitary functioning kidney (SFK). METHODS Seventy-four SFK fetuses (unilateral renal agenesis [12], multicystic dysplastic kidney [36], and severe renal dysplasia [26]) were compared with 58 healthy fetuses. Peak systolic velocity (PSV), pulsatility index (PI), and resistance index (RI) of the renal artery (RA) were measured; 2D and 3D (VOCAL) volumes were calculated. Renal length and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were obtained in SFK children (2 years). RESULTS Compared with the control group, the PSV RA was significantly lower in nonfunctioning kidneys and significantly higher in SFK. Volume measurements indicated a significantly larger volume of SFK compared with healthy kidneys. All but 4 children had GFR above 70 mL/min/1.73 m2 , and compensatory hypertrophy was present in 69% at 2 years. PSV RA and SFK volume correlated with postnatal renal hypertrophy. No correlation between prenatal and postnatal SFK volume and GFR at 2 years was demonstrated. CONCLUSION Low PSV RA might have a predictive value for diagnosing a nonfunctioning kidney in fetuses with a SFK. We demonstrated a higher PSV RA and larger renal volume in the SFK compared with healthy kidneys.
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Affiliation(s)
- An Hindryckx
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | | | | | - Karel Allegaert
- Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Belgium.,Intensive Care and Department of Pediatric Surgery, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Luc De Catte
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, KU Leuven, Belgium
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Brennan S, Watson D, Rudd D, Schneider M, Kandasamy Y. Evaluation of fetal kidney growth using ultrasound: A systematic review. Eur J Radiol 2017; 96:55-64. [PMID: 29103476 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2017.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Revised: 08/06/2017] [Accepted: 09/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To determine the role of ultrasound imaging in evaluating fetal kidney growth. METHODS MEDLINE, CINAHL and EMBASE databases were electronically searched for studies between 1996 and January 2017 and limited to English language. Studies were included if they reported on an ultrasound technique to assess fetal kidney growth and they were not a case report or case series. There was independent selection of studies by two reviewers in consensus with one other reviewer. Data were extracted by one reviewer in consensus with two other reviewers. RESULTS A total of 1785 articles were identified. The full text of 39 of these were assessed for eligibility for inclusion. Twenty-eight studies were then included in the review. Standard two dimensional (2D) fetal renal measurements are easy to perform, however, this review identified that most studies had some methodological limitations. The disadvantage with 2D and three dimensional (3D) fetal renal volumes are that they include the entire kidney and good reproducibility of 3D volumes has not yet been demonstrated. Currently there is limited research on fetal kidney growth in the setting of abnormal fetal growth. Research focussing directly on fetal kidney parenchyma and blood flow is scarce. CONCLUSIONS Some nomograms of 2D and 3D fetal kidney size and volume have been developed. Kidney length is the most popular single fetal kidney measurement; however, it does not seem to be a good indicator of growth. In IUGR fetuses, kidney length remained similar to appropriately grown fetuses whereas AP and TS dimensions were significantly decreased. New ultrasound techniques focusing on the parenchyma of the kidney and perfusion to the kidney should be explored as they may provide more meaningful information on kidney development in the fetus and future kidney function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Brennan
- Ultrasound Department, The Townsville Hospital, IMB 47 P.O. Box 670, Douglas, Townsville, Queensland, 4810, Australia; College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, 1 James Cook Drive, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia.
| | - David Watson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Townsville Hospital, IMB 85 P.O. Box 670, Townsville, Queensland 4810, Australia
| | - Donna Rudd
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, 1 James Cook Drive, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Michal Schneider
- Department of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences, School of Primary And Allied Health Care, 10 Chancellors Way, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Yogavijayan Kandasamy
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, 1 James Cook Drive, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia; Department of Neonatology, The Townsville Hospital, IMB 51 P.O. Box 670, Townsville, Queensland 4810, Australia; Mothers and Babies Research Centre, Hunter Medical Research Institute, John Hunter Hospital, The University of Newcastle,University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
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Yoshizaki CT, Francisco RPV, de Pinho JC, Ruano R, Zugaib M. Renal volumes measured by 3-dimensional sonography in healthy fetuses from 20 to 40 weeks. JOURNAL OF ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE 2013; 32:421-427. [PMID: 23443182 DOI: 10.7863/jum.2013.32.3.421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to establish reference values for fetal kidney volumes as a function of gestational age, estimated by 3-dimensional sonography using the Virtual Organ Computer-Aided Analysis (VOCAL) technique (GE Healthcare, Kretztechnik, Zipf, Austria). METHODS Volumes of right and left kidneys were assessed in 213 healthy fetuses by 3-dimensional sonography using the VOCAL technique. Inclusion criteria were healthy women with singleton pregnancies, unremarkable comprehensive fetal sonographic findings, well-known gestational age established by first-trimester sonography, and gestational ages between 20 and 40 weeks. Exclusion criteria were patients lost to follow-up and birth weight abnormalities. Each patient was scanned once during pregnancy. Regression analysis was used to calculate unified formulas. RESULTS The mathematical models calculated in the study were as follows: expected right kidney volume = exp[-1.01 + (0.12 × gestational age)]; and expected left kidney volume = exp[-0.90 + (0.12 × gestational age)]. No significant intraobserver or inter-observer variability was observed for the determined volumes. CONCLUSIONS Reference values for right and left fetal kidney volumes throughout gestation using the rotational technique (VOCAL) are described. The use of this technique might aid in further definition of gestational age kidney volume standards to help in defining variations from the norm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Tadashi Yoshizaki
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade de São Paulo, 05403-900 São Paulo-SP, Brazil
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Ioannou C, Sarris I, Salomon LJ, Papageorghiou AT. A review of fetal volumetry: the need for standardization and definitions in measurement methodology. ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY 2011; 38:613-619. [PMID: 21674657 DOI: 10.1002/uog.9074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/16/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Volume charts of fetal organs and structures vary considerably among studies. This review identified 42 studies reporting normal volumes, namely for fetal brain (n = 3), cerebellum (n = 4), liver (n = 6), femur (n = 2), lungs (n = 15), kidneys (n = 3) and first-trimester embryo (n = 9). The differences among median volumes were expressed both in percentage form and as standard deviation scores. Wide discrepancies in reported normal volumes make it extremely difficult to diagnose pathological organ growth reliably. Given its magnitude, this variation is likely to be due to inconsistencies in volumetric methodology, rather than population differences. Complicating factors include the absence of clearly defined anatomical landmarks for measurement; inadequate assessment and reporting of method repeatability; the inherent difficulty in validating fetal measurements in vivo against a reference standard; and a multitude of mutually incompatible three-dimensional (3D) imaging formats and software measuring tools. An attempt to standardize these factors would improve intra- and inter-researcher agreement concerning reported volumetric measures, would allow generalization of reference data across different populations and different ultrasound systems, and would allow quality assurance in 3D fetal biometry. Failure to ensure a quality control process may hamper the wide use of 3D ultrasound.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Ioannou
- Nuffield Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Kalaycioglu A, Ucuncu Y, Altunkaynak BZ, Altunkaynak ME, Gundogdu C, Keles ON, Unal B, Kaplan S. Stereological evaluation of the kidneys of anencephalic and normal fetuses. Ren Fail 2011; 35:110-7. [PMID: 21770851 DOI: 10.3109/0886022x.2011.577544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study is to test the glomerular and other quantitative parameters of kidneys of anencephalic fetuses and comparing those to "normal" fetuses. In this study, 20 kidneys of human fetuses (5 boys and 5 girls of anencephalic fetus, and 5 boys and 5 girls of normal fetus), at gestational ages of 25-30 weeks, were examined. This study is based on two basic research methods: one is a conventional anatomical measurement at the macroscopical level; the other is a design-biased stereological method at the microscopical level. Physical dissector and Cavalieri principle were used to estimate the total and numerical density of glomerulus and the volume of kidney, respectively. The results of the two types of investigation were compared based on anencephalic/normal and boy/girl kidneys at both the macroscopical and microscopical levels. There was no significant difference found between the quantitative features of kidneys (volume of kidneys and mean number and/or height of glomerulus) belonging to anencephalic and normal fetuses. The results of this study suggest that anencephalic fetuses did not differ from normal fetuses in respect of kidneys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmet Kalaycioglu
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey
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Michielsen K, Meersschaert J, De Keyzer F, Cannie M, Deprest J, Claus F. MR volumetry of the normal fetal kidney: reference values. Prenat Diagn 2010; 30:1044-8. [DOI: 10.1002/pd.2607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Júnior EA, Nardozza LMM, Pires CR, Filho HAG, Moron AF. Comparison of the two-dimensional and multiplanar methods and establishment of a new constant for the measurement of fetal lung volume. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2009; 21:81-8. [DOI: 10.1080/14767050701831280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Duin LK, Willekes C, Vossen M, Beckers M, Offermans J, Nijhuis JG. Reproducibility of fetal renal pelvis volume measurement using three-dimensional ultrasound. ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY 2008; 31:657-661. [PMID: 18470970 DOI: 10.1002/uog.5208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the reproducibility of fetal renal pelvis volume measurement in hydronephrotic kidneys using transabdominal three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound. METHODS The fetal renal pelvis volume was measured using 3D ultrasound in one kidney in each of 15 fetuses with hydronephrosis in the second or third trimester of pregnancy. Hydronephrosis was diagnosed when the fetus had an anteroposterior renal pelvis diameter > or = 5 mm. After volume acquisition by one of the observers, the repeatability of volume calculation with manual delineation of the fetal renal pelvis was assessed by six different observers using the Virtual Organ Computer-aided AnaLysis (VOCAL(trade mark)) imaging program. The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), coefficient of variation (CV) and within- and between-observer repeatability coefficient (r) were calculated and Bland-Altman plots were constructed. RESULTS Both intra- and interobserver reliability of the fetal renal pelvis volume measurements were considered to be very good. For intraobserver reliability, the ICC was 0.996 and the CV was 10.8%. For the overall interobserver reliability, the ICC was 0.998 and the CV was 15.7%; the interobserver reliability between pairs of observers had ICCs between 0.994 and 0.999, and CVs between 19.5% and 7.6% for inexperienced and experienced observers, respectively. CONCLUSION With 3D ultrasound using the VOCAL imaging program, it is technically feasible to reproduce fetal renal pelvis volume measurements. Further research to establish the clinical applications of this technology is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- L K Duin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
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10
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Hata T, Kuno A, Dai SY, Inubashiri E, Hanaoka U, Kanenishi K, Yamashiro C, Tanaka H, Yanagihara T. Three-dimensional sonographic volume measurement of the fetal spleen. J Obstet Gynaecol Res 2007; 33:600-5. [PMID: 17845315 DOI: 10.1111/j.1447-0756.2007.00618.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
AIM The objective of this longitudinal study was to evaluate the growth of the fetal spleen in normal pregnancies, using three-dimensional ultrasound. METHODS Three-dimensional sonographic examinations were performed on 14 appropriate-for-gestational-age fetuses. Fetal splenic volume was measured every 2-3 weeks after 20 weeks of gestational age until delivery. RESULTS Curvilinear relationships were found between the gestational age and splenic volume (R(2) = 80.2%, P < 0.0001), and normal ranges of splenic volume measurements for estimating the growth of the fetal spleen during normal pregnancy were generated. We found that the splenic volume calculation based on the equation for the volume of the ellipsoid by conventional two-dimensional ultrasound in previous investigations is about twice as large as that using three-dimensional ultrasound in our study, whereas the present data described in this study is quite comparable with previous data from an autopsy series. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that the standard curve for the fetal splenic volume using three-dimensional ultrasound provides a superior means for evaluating the normal splenic growth in the fetus and for identifying splenic abnormalities in utero. However, the data and its interpretation in our study should be taken with some degree of caution because of the small number of subjects studied. Further studies involving a larger sample size would be needed to confirm these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshiyuki Hata
- Department of Perinatology and Gynecology, Kagawa University School of Medicine, Kagawa, Japan.
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Vlajković S, Vasović L, Daković-Bjelaković M, Cukuranović R. Age-Related Changes of the Human Fetal Kidney Size. Cells Tissues Organs 2006; 182:193-200. [PMID: 16914921 DOI: 10.1159/000093968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/22/2006] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Early prenatal diagnostics and the importance of genetic counseling are of great interest for echosonographic evaluation of normal fetus anatomy. Development of the human fetal kidney runs through a series of continual and mutually dependent changes during which the kidney obtains its morphological and functional maturity. This study was created to estimate the changes in kidney size during gestation in fetuses from the 4th to the 10th lunar month, to evaluate the dynamics of their growth, as well as to establish the validity of the volume calculated from these dimensions. Serial measurements of kidney dimensions (length, width, thickness) were performed in 110 fetuses. Photomicrographs of kidneys from the 4th, 6th, 8th and 10th lunar months are also presented. On the basis of the results obtained by our examination, we concluded that the period from the 14th to 16th week of intrauterine life is the fastest period of kidney growth during fetal development. Using the ellipsoid formula for calculating the fetal renal volume offers an underestimation of about 32-33% on average. The importance of this study lies in determining the average fetal kidney dimensions, which could be used as standard values in obstetrics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Slobodan Vlajković
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Nis, Nis, Serbia and Montenegro.
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Araujo Júnior E, Guimarães Filho HA, Pires CR, Nardozza LM, Moron AF, Mattar R. Validation of fetal cerebellar volume by three-dimensional ultrasonography in Brazilian population. Arch Gynecol Obstet 2006; 275:5-11. [PMID: 16847630 DOI: 10.1007/s00404-006-0192-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2006] [Accepted: 05/16/2006] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To validate the prediction equation of the volume of fetal cerebellum by three-dimensional ultrasonography determined for Taiwan's population in Brazilian population. METHODS A longitudinal prospective study was performed with 52 normal pregnant women between 20 and 32 weeks. The measurement of fetal cerebellar volume was done by virtual organ computer-aided analysis (VOCAL) method, with a rotation angle of 30 degrees. To establish the correlation of fetal cerebellar volume with gestational age, a polynomial regression analysis was performed, with cerebellar volume as dependent variable and gestational age as independent variable. To compare the prediction equation of the volume of fetal cerebellum in Taiwan's population and the equation established in this study, with the values obtained from Brazilian population (referential), we used the intraclass correlation coefficient, with the averages compared by paired Student's t test. RESULTS The volume of fetal cerebellum was highly correlated with gestational age, and the best prediction equation obtained was of the second degree. The equation established in this study predicted cerebellar volumes more accurately than the equation established for Taiwan's population, since the average values of fetal cerebellar volume were more similar to the average values of reference. CONCLUSIONS The equation established for Taiwan's population presented less accuracy in Brazilian population, possibly due to the strong ethnical differences between both populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Araujo Júnior
- Department of Obstetrics, Sao Paulo's Federal University (Unifesp/EPM), Napoleão de Barros, 871, Vila Clementino, CEP 04024-002, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Three-dimensional sonographic measurement of fetal renal volume. J Med Ultrason (2001) 2006; 33:43-7. [PMID: 27277618 DOI: 10.1007/s10396-005-0067-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2005] [Accepted: 08/26/2005] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Lampl M, Kuzawa CW, Jeanty P. Growth patterns of the heart and kidney suggest inter-organ collaboration in facultative fetal growth. Am J Hum Biol 2005; 17:178-94. [PMID: 15736176 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.20109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal smoking during pregnancy has been associated with a number of negative sequelae among offspring, including elevated postnatal blood pressure. While animal studies have described organ level alterations with smoke exposure, human data have been more limited. Thirty-four healthy maternal/fetal pairs (24 nonsmokers, 10 smokers) participated in a longitudinal growth study from the thirteenth week of pregnancy to document fetal kidney and heart growth trajectories and morphology. Curve fitting followed by a mixed model for repeated measures identified significantly different growth patterns in kidney width, thickness, length, and volume growth with exposure: the smoke-exposed fetal kidney was wide and thick compared to the unexposed kidney during the second and early third trimester, declining to proportionately thin kidneys for length and width subsequently. Cardiac growth in width and volume followed a reverse pattern: a surge in cardiac volume occurred after 30 weeks with acceleration in cardiac width, resulting in a heart that was wide for length and for fetal weight. Smoke exposure altered fetal growth in size and timing of the heart and kidneys during midgestation, with changes in organ morphology suggesting compensatory growth. These are the first data providing anatomical evidence of altered renal/cardiac volume relationships that may provide a mechanism to previously reported sequelae of in utero smoke exposure. They suggest that cell-level adaptive responses to hypoxia and/or chemical insults are operative and illustrate the importance of longitudinal ultrasound to directly assess the organ-level growth response of the human fetus to a prenatal stress, in lieu of relying on birth outcome measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Lampl
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, 1557 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
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Sforza C, Ranzi A, Ferrario VF, Forabosco A. Growth patterns of human ovarian volume during intrauterine and postnatal organogenesis. Early Hum Dev 2004; 80:7-17. [PMID: 15363835 DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2004.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/10/2004] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ovarian volumes during pre-pubertal, reproductive or menopausal life in a healthy female have been studied by in vivo and anatomical methods. In contrast, conclusive studies on normal human ovarian volume during intrauterine and postnatal organogenesis, when the folliculogenesis occurs, do not exist. AIM To assess the growth patterns of ovarian volume during human ovarian definitive histogenesis using morphometric methods. SUBJECTS Twenty-five left ovaries removed from fetuses, newborns and children with karyotype 46,XX, ranging from 15 to 74 weeks of development. OUTCOME MEASURES The ovaries were completely cut obtaining serial sections. Ovarian volume was calculated both with the ellipsoid method, using its length, maximum and minimum diameters, and the Cavalieri quantitative morphometric method. The age-related pattern of ovarian volume was studied using linear regression analyses. RESULTS Ovarian volume calculated with the Cavalieri method increased from 16 mm3 at the 15th week of development to over 300 mm3 at the end of the process, with a 20-fold increase compared to the initial volume. Ovarian volume calculated with the ellipsoid method ranged between 25 to over 380 mm3, with a 15-fold increase. On average, ellipsoidal volume over-estimated the true Cavalieri volume (mean difference -14%, S.D. 29, p=0.014, Student's t-test for paired samples). Linear regression curves were developed to predict ovarian volume at any age. Overall, the approximation was better for Cavalieri volume (approximately, 72% of variance explained by the linear regression) than for ellipsoid volume (59% of explained variance). CONCLUSIONS During the intrauterine and postnatal organogenesis, the normal growth rate of human ovary was almost linear. The calculation of ovarian volume using Cavalieri method does not depend on assumptions about the organ shape and it appears to be more appropriate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiarella Sforza
- Functional Anatomy Research Center (FARC), Dipartimento di Morfologia Umana, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia and Facoltà di Scienze Motorie, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Mangiagalli 31, I-20133 Milan, Italy.
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16
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Lampl M, Kuzawa CW, Jeanty P. Infants thinner at birth exhibit smaller kidneys for their size in late gestation in a sample of fetuses with appropriate growth. Am J Hum Biol 2002; 14:398-406. [PMID: 12001098 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.10050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Fetal ultrasound measurements were employed to investigate the relationship between weight and ponderal index at birth and kidney size during the second (23 weeks) and third (32 weeks) trimesters of pregnancy in a sample of 25 normally growing fetuses. Kidney volume and kidney volume / fetal weight ratio at 32 weeks are significantly and positively related to both weight and ponderal index at birth, controlling for sex, gestational age at birth, and day of ultrasound measurement. A second-degree polynomial relationship approximates the predictability of kidney volume fetal weight ratio at 23 weeks to that at 32 weeks, demonstrating shifting growth rates in fetal organ and body growth relationships during midgestation. Sex and parental size are suggested as contributing to these patterns. Females have a surge in renal growth between 23 and 32 weeks to catch up to earlier growing males, and maternal weight significantly predicts incremental growth in kidney volume and the kidney volume / fetal weight ratio at 32 weeks of gestation. The observation that fetuses relatively thin at birth have relatively smaller kidneys for their size in late gestation suggests that the influence of maternal weight on birth outcome may act through organ growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Lampl
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
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Kuno A, Hayashi Y, Akiyama M, Yamashiro C, Tanaka H, Yanagihara T, Hata T. Three-dimensional sonographic measurement of liver volume in the small-for-gestational-age fetus. JOURNAL OF ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE 2002; 21:361-366. [PMID: 11934092 DOI: 10.7863/jum.2002.21.4.361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the growth of the fetal liver in normal pregnancies and to evaluate the ability of fetal liver volume measurement for prediction of small-for-gestational-age fetuses. METHODS Three-dimensional sonographic examinations were performed on 14 appropriate-for-gestational-age and 10 small-for-gestational-age fetuses. Liver volume and liver length were measured every 2 weeks after 20 weeks' menstrual age until delivery. RESULTS A curvilinear relationship was found between the menstrual age and liver volume (R2 = 88.4%; P < .0001), and a normal range of liver volume measurement for estimating the growth of the fetal liver during normal pregnancy was generated. Liver length was normal in 7 of 10 small-for-gestational-age fetuses, whereas liver volume values in all small-for-gestational-age fetuses were below normal ranges in the mid to late third trimester. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that liver volume may be a useful measurement for diagnosing small-for-gestational-age fetuses in the mid to late third trimester but that liver length may not be predictive. Further studies involving a larger sample size would be needed to confirm this suggestion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsushi Kuno
- Department of Perinatology and Gynecology, Kagawa Medical University, Japan
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Welsh AW, Humphries K, Cosgrove DO, Taylor MJ, Fisk NM. Development of three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasound imaging of fetoplacental vasculature. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2001; 27:1161-1170. [PMID: 11597355 DOI: 10.1016/s0301-5629(01)00409-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
To develop an off-line system for three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound (US) reconstruction of fetoplacental vasculature using colour segmentation and reconstruction software and to determine sources of error in fully freehand ultrasound image acquisition. US images were acquired freehand with the Acuson Sequoia (5C 2-MHz transducer) using power Doppler. After digital transfer to a personal computer, CQ Analysis software (Kinetic Imaging Ltd, Liverpool, UK) was used to segment the colour information from these images, and the resulting 8-bit grey-scale images were used for 3-D rendering using commercial software (VoxBlast, Vaytek Inc., Fairfield, IA, USA). 2-D scanning, software and freehand acquisition accuracy were assessed using a linear test rig and distance and volume phantoms (Dansk Phantom Service Ltd); 2-D scanning accuracy was within 1.3%, and software reconstruction accuracy within 1% for x and y planes and up to 3% for the z plane. Fully freehand acquisition was associated with a 12% to 18% mean percentage error in distance measurement in the plane of acquisition. Volumetric reconstruction inaccuracy was between 1.5% and 19.7% for precisely separated images and between 16.2% and 39.2% for fully freehand image acquisition. Rendered 3-D US vascular images clearly delineated vascular anatomy within the placenta and cord. Fully freehand 3-D US does have a role in off-line reconstruction of vascular anatomy, although variability in the z plane precludes its use for volumetric measurement. (E-mail: a.welsh@ic.ac.uk)
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Affiliation(s)
- A W Welsh
- Department of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Queen Charlotte's & Chelsea Hospital, Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, London, UK.
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