Document Detail


Ultrasound investigation of the fetal cerebral ventricles.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  3891957     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Significant recent advances in ultrasonic technology have now made possible detailed evaluation of normal and abnormal fetal intracranial anatomy. Accurate knowledge of fetal intracranial anatomy is important for accurate and reproducible cephalometry as well as in antenatal diagnosis of dilated brain ventricles. High resolution real-time ultrasonic investigation was performed in 280 normal obstetric patients from the 14th to the 41st weeks of pregnancy. Eight patients with antenatally detected hydrocephalic fetuses were also included in the study. Measurements of the ratio between lateral ventricular width and cerebral hemispheric width (LVW/HW) showed value at 0.61 of the 14th week to 0.29 at about the 27th week. This value then remains unchanged until term. Accordingly the LVW/HW ratio decreases as the fetus grows reflecting the developmental changes. Due to this simple measurement technique, it is possible to diagnose hydrocephaly much earlier than by means of the identification of an abnormal BPD growth or a discrepancy between head and abdomen circumferences. Although the earliest reported cases of prenatal ultrasound detection of hydrocephaly have been at 17-18 weeks, one must be very careful when making the diagnosis prior to 20 weeks because the lateral ventricles are usually disproportionally large at this time and the LVW/HW ratio is, therefore, high. Moreover, the normal range is rather wide at this age. For this reason it is useful to repeat the ultrasound examination after one week; if the ratio increases, the diagnosis of hydrocephaly can be made without any doubt.
Authors:
V D'Addario; A Kurjak
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of perinatal medicine     Volume:  13     ISSN:  0300-5577     ISO Abbreviation:  J Perinat Med     Publication Date:  1985  
Date Detail:
Created Date:  1985-08-12     Completed Date:  1985-08-12     Revised Date:  2004-11-17    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0361031     Medline TA:  J Perinat Med     Country:  GERMANY, WEST    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  67-77     Citation Subset:  IM    
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Cerebral Ventricles / embryology*
Female
Gestational Age
Humans
Hydrocephalus / diagnosis,  embryology
Pregnancy
Ultrasonics*
Ultrasonography

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