title: Ultrasonographic in utero identification and measurement of the normal fetal spleen.
abstract: Sixty-nine ultrasonographic examinations were performed to identify and measure the fetal spleen in utero on 49 women with regular menstrual cycles, at 18-41 weeks of gestation. The length (FS-L), width (FS-W), area (FS-A), and sectional area (length X width; FS-LW) of the fetal spleen correlated well with the gestational age. A very high correlation of FS-LW with FS-A was noted (r = 0.98; p less than 0.001). Ultrasonographic identification and measurement of the fetal spleen in utero is thus a useful indicator of fetal spleen growth and should facilitate detection of in utero splenomegaly, asplenia and other abnormalities.
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D013154:Spleen / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000196:embryology*; D014463:Ultrasonography