title: Ultrasonographic measurement of thoracic diameters of the early gestating fetus.
abstract: Eighty-two ultrasonographic examinations were performed on 60 of our pregnant patients with regular menstrual cycles and no complications. The pregnancies ranged from 7 to 13 weeks of gestation. Thoracic anteroposterior diameter (ETAPD), transverse diameter (ETTD), cross-sectional area (ETA) and crown-rump length (CRL) were measured on each ultrasonogram. A high correlation between CRL and gestational age was firstly confirmed in this study. ETAPD, ETTD and ETA correlated well with the gestational age and CRL, respectively. Correlations between ETAPD/CRL and ETTD/CRL ratios with the gestational age were negative. A positive correlation of ETA/CRL ratio with the gestational age was evident. Ultrasonographic measurement of the thoracic diameters of the fetus in utero should be a useful parameter to evaluate the gestational age and for early detection of growth retardation in utero.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shimane Medical University, Izumo Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hata
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hata
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamane
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Osamu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kitao
mesh_terms: D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D013909:Thorax / Q000196:embryology; D014463:Ultrasonography