Fetal urine production at different gestational ages: correlation to various compromised fetuses in utero.
To reveal which fetal life-threatening diseases significantly contribute to impairment of in-utero urine production and also to determine the gestational age at which time aberrant urine production becomes manifest, we observed 376 compromised fetuses (subject group) at 21-42 weeks' gestation using ultrasonography. A total of 358 uncomplicated fetuses, aged 21-40 weeks, were separately chosen as a control group. Statistical differences in the urine production rate between subject- and control-group fetuses were analysed using the Grubbs-Smirnoff test at corresponding gestational ages. Significant decreases were evident in: bilateral renal agenesis (100%) at 21-23 weeks; bilateral infantile polycystic kidney (100%) at 21-28 weeks; bilateral multicystic kidney disease (100%) at 21-31 weeks; donor fetuses with twin transfusion syndrome (TTS) (100%) at 21-28 weeks; post-term fetuses (100%) at 42 weeks; bilateral hydronephrosis (60%) at 21-38 weeks; non-immunologic hydrops fetalis (42%) at 21-35 weeks; intrauterine growth retardation (41%) at 29-40 weeks; and upper gastrointestinal tract obstruction (36%) at 30-38 weeks. Significant increases were noted in: recipient fetuses with TTS (100%) at 21-28 weeks, and unilateral hydronephrosis (36%) at 27-32 weeks. All indicate that urine production clearly delineates various fetal conditions in utero, in a closely disease-dependent relation to gestational age.
Takeuchi
H
H
Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University 60, Fukuoka, Japan.
Koyanagi
T
T
Yoshizato
T
T
Takashima
T
T
Satoh
S
S
Nakano
H
H
D004231:Diuresis; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000196:embryology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005330:Fetofetal Transfusion / Q000503:physiopathology; D005333:Fetus / Q000502:physiology*; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000196:embryology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D006869:Hydronephrosis / Q000196:embryology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015160:Hydrops Fetalis / Q000196:embryology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007668:Kidney / Q000002:abnormalities; D052177:Kidney Diseases, Cystic / Q000196:embryology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007690:Polycystic Kidney Diseases / Q000196:embryology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy