Decreased fetal thymus size at 24 weeks gestation by ultrasound measurement in gestational diabetes mellitus fetal thymus examination for diabetes

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the difference in fetal thymus diameter, which we measured ultrasonographically, between the healthy pregnant group and the pregnant group with gestational diabetes. Fetal thymus and thymus/thorax ratio parameters were assessed in this case-control study. Patients were examined in two groups. They included 49 diabetics (study group) women and 71 nondiabetic (control group). We performed a binary logistic regression analysis to determine the predictive value of ultrasonographic measurements. We completed the receiver curve characteristic analysis to evaluate the cut-off thymus diameter. The median age of pregnant women was 27. Thymus diameter and thymus-thorax ratio were smaller in fetuses of diabetic mothers than in the nondiabetic group (p <0.05). Thymus diameter was found to be more predictive of gestational diabetes prediction (p: 0.019). There was no correlation between fasting blood glucose and thymus diameter. Decreased fetal thymus anterior-posterior diameter seems to be associated with diabetic pregnancy.