title: Pre- to postnatal reduction in ultrasound attenuation coefficient of the liver.
abstract: A recent study showed the ultrasound attenuation coefficient of fetal liver between 26 and 40 weeks of gestation to be 26% higher than after birth. To test the hypothesis that ultrasound attenuation is sensitive to fetal liver glycogen concentration, the livers of 24 fetuses were examined at 5 MHz just prior to and just after birth. The mean pre- to post-delivery reduction in attenuation coefficient was 0.08 dB cm-1 MHz-1 +/- 0.02 (SEM), or 17% of the post-delivery mean. This is consistent with the increase in attenuation measured by others in liver homogenate when glycogen was added. An increase in measurement accuracy, correlation with glycogen content, and, possibly, control for biological variability will be required to make predictions in individual cases, as opposed to these averages. A simple test of glycogen content would be of value scientifically and in prenatal and postnatal management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor 48109-0553.
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Carson
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Rubin
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: T I
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Marks
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D008112:Liver Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal
chemical_list: D008112:Liver Glycogen