OBJECTIVES: To establish the increase in fetal transverse cerebellar diameter (TCD) relative to gestational age during normal and restricted fetal growth; to determine the significance of TCD and TCD/AC relationship in predicting fetal outcome as expressed by perinatal mortality. DESIGN: A retrospective cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS: Three hundred and sixty normally developing fetuses between 17 and 34 weeks of gestation and 73 growth-restricted fetuses between 24 and 34 weeks of gestation. METHODS: Ultrasonographic measurements included head circumference (mm), abdominal circumference (mm) and transverse cerebellar diameter (mm). A gestational age-related normal reference chart was produced for TCD. RESULTS: Statistically significant relationships between transverse cerebellar diameter and gestational age, abdominal circumference and head circumference were found. The normal fetal TCD exhibited a more than twofold increase in size during the second half of pregnancy. Twenty-six per cent of the small-for-gestational age (SGA) fetuses displayed a reduced TCD and 82% of the SGA fetuses demonstrated raised TCD/AC values. No statistically significant difference in perinatal mortality or birth weight was found between the subsets of growth-restricted fetuses with reduced or normal TCD; or between the subsets with normal or raised TCD/AC values. CONCLUSIONS: In the normally developing fetus the TCD increases with advancing gestational age. Increased TCD/AC values are suspicious of fetal growth restriction. The perinatal mortality in growth-restricted fetuses with a small cerebellum is increased twofold over that of other fetuses.
OBJECTIVES: To establish the increase in fetal transverse cerebellar diameter (TCD) relative to gestational age during normal and restricted fetal growth; to determine the significance of TCD and TCD/AC relationship in predicting fetal outcome as expressed by perinatal mortality. DESIGN: A retrospective cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS: Three hundred and sixty normally developing fetuses between 17 and 34 weeks of gestation and 73 growth-restricted fetuses between 24 and 34 weeks of gestation. METHODS: Ultrasonographic measurements included head circumference (mm), abdominal circumference (mm) and transverse cerebellar diameter (mm). A gestational age-related normal reference chart was produced for TCD. RESULTS: Statistically significant relationships between transverse cerebellar diameter and gestational age, abdominal circumference and head circumference were found. The normal fetal TCD exhibited a more than twofold increase in size during the second half of pregnancy. Twenty-six per cent of the small-for-gestational age (SGA) fetuses displayed a reduced TCD and 82% of the SGA fetuses demonstrated raised TCD/AC values. No statistically significant difference in perinatal mortality or birth weight was found between the subsets of growth-restricted fetuses with reduced or normal TCD; or between the subsets with normal or raised TCD/AC values. CONCLUSIONS: In the normally developing fetus the TCD increases with advancing gestational age. Increased TCD/AC values are suspicious of fetal growth restriction. The perinatal mortality in growth-restricted fetuses with a small cerebellum is increased twofold over that of other fetuses.
Authors: Russell L Deter; Wesley Lee; Haleh Sangi-Haghpeykar; Adi L Tarca; Lami Yeo; Roberto Romero Journal: J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med Date: 2014-07-11
Authors: Catherine Limperopoulos; Richard L Robertson; Omar S Khwaja; Caroline D Robson; Judy A Estroff; Carole Barnewolt; Deborah Levine; Donna Morash; Luanne Nemes; Linda Zaccagnini; Adré J du Plessis Journal: AJR Am J Roentgenol Date: 2008-06 Impact factor: 3.959
Authors: Francesca Parisi; Melek Rousian; Irene V Koning; Sten P Willemsen; Jeanne H M de Vries; Eric A P Steegers; Régine P M Steegers-Theunissen Journal: PLoS One Date: 2018-05-23 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Fernanda Silveira Bello de Barros; Luiz Cláudio de Silva Bussamra; Edward Araujo Júnior; Leonardo da Silva Valladão de Freitas; Luciano Marcondes Machado Nardozza; Antonio Fernandes Moron; José Mendes Aldrighi Journal: ISRN Obstet Gynecol Date: 2012-11-14