Abstract
This study aimed to examine age-specific reference intervals and growth dynamics of the best fit for liver dimensions on the diaphragmatic surface of the fetal liver. The research material consisted of 69 human fetuses of both sexes (32♂, 37♀) aged 18–30 weeks. Using methods of anatomical dissection, digital image analysis and statistics, a total of 10 measurements and 2 calculations were performed. No statistical significant differences between sexes were found (p>0.05). The parameters studied displayed growth models that followed natural logarithmic functions. The mean value of the transverse–to–vertical diameter ratio of the liver throughout the analyzed period was 0.71±0.11. The isthmic ratio decreased significantly from 0.81±0.12 in the 18–19th week to 0.62±0.06 in the 26–27th week, and then increased to 0.68±0.11 in the 28–30th week of fetal life (p<0.01). The morphometric parameters of the diaphragmatic surface of the liver present age-specific reference data. No sex differences are found. The transverse–to–vertical diameter ratio supports a proportionate growth of the fetal liver. Quantitative anatomy of the growing liver may be of relevance in both the ultrasound monitoring of the fetal development and the early detection of liver anomalies.
Highlights
For the last 20 years, the advancement in ultrasound imaging techniques from 2D into 3D has considerably improved the accuracy of measurements
The fetuses studied could not suffer from growth retardation, as the correlation between the gestational age based on the crown-rump length (CRL) and that calculated by the last menstruation attained the value R = 0.98 (p
The vertical diameter of the right lobe diaphragmatic surface ranged from 18.91±0.74 mm in the 18th week to 39.24±7.00 mm in the 30th week of fetal life, following the natural logarithmic function y = −82.962+35.695×ln(age)±4.359
Summary
For the last 20 years, the advancement in ultrasound imaging techniques from 2D into 3D has considerably improved the accuracy of measurements. This results in an increased precision of the monitoring of fetal development [1, 2], detectability of congenital defects [3, 4], and improved accuracy of the assessment of fetal birth weight [5,6,7]. According to some authors [9,10,11], normative age-specific morphometric values of the growing liver in the fetus are of great importance not to the liver alone, but while assessing the whole fetal growth.
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