title: Three-dimensional sonographic measurement of liver volume in the small-for-gestational-age fetus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the growth of the fetal liver in normal pregnancies and to evaluate the ability of fetal liver volume measurement for prediction of small-for-gestational-age fetuses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three-dimensional sonographic examinations were performed on 14 appropriate-for-gestational-age and 10 small-for-gestational-age fetuses. Liver volume and liver length were measured every 2 weeks after 20 weeks' menstrual age until delivery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A curvilinear relationship was found between the menstrual age and liver volume (R2 = 88.4%; P < .0001), and a normal range of liver volume measurement for estimating the growth of the fetal liver during normal pregnancy was generated. Liver length was normal in 7 of 10 small-for-gestational-age fetuses, whereas liver volume values in all small-for-gestational-age fetuses were below normal ranges in the mid to late third trimester.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that liver volume may be a useful measurement for diagnosing small-for-gestational-age fetuses in the mid to late third trimester but that liver length may not be predictive. Further studies involving a larger sample size would be needed to confirm this suggestion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Perinatology and Gynecology, Kagawa Medical University, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kuno
authors.forename: Yoshinobu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akiyama
authors.forename: Chizu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yamashiro
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Toshihiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yanagihara
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hata
mesh_terms: D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000196:embryology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal