PURPOSE: To determine whether the diameter of the fetal lateral ventricular atrium is larger in male than in female fetuses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The atrial diameter in 219 fetuses retrospectively identified from a consecutive group of healthy newborns was measured without knowledge of the subject's sex. RESULTS: Atrial size demonstrated a near-normal distribution, with mean size for all subjects 6.1 mm +/- 1.3 (standard deviation). When separated by sex, the mean atrial diameter of 122 female fetuses was 5.8 mm +/- 1.3, and the mean atrial diameter of 97 male fetuses was 6.4 mm +/- 1.3. The difference in mean size is statistically significant (P < .005). CONCLUSION: Male fetuses have a slightly larger atrial size than female fetuses. This discovery has implications for defining the upper limit of normal for fetal ventricular atrial size.
PURPOSE: To determine whether the diameter of the fetal lateral ventricular atrium is larger in male than in female fetuses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The atrial diameter in 219 fetuses retrospectively identified from a consecutive group of healthy newborns was measured without knowledge of the subject's sex. RESULTS: Atrial size demonstrated a near-normal distribution, with mean size for all subjects 6.1 mm +/- 1.3 (standard deviation). When separated by sex, the mean atrial diameter of 122 female fetuses was 5.8 mm +/- 1.3, and the mean atrial diameter of 97 male fetuses was 6.4 mm +/- 1.3. The difference in mean size is statistically significant (P < .005). CONCLUSION: Male fetuses have a slightly larger atrial size than female fetuses. This discovery has implications for defining the upper limit of normal for fetal ventricular atrial size.
Authors: John H Gilmore; Lauren C Smith; Honor M Wolfe; Barbara S Hertzberg; J Keith Smith; Nancy C Chescheir; Dianne D Evans; Chaeryon Kang; Robert M Hamer; Weili Lin; Guido Gerig Journal: Biol Psychiatry Date: 2008-10-02 Impact factor: 13.382