The resistance index in the fetal middle cerebral artery by gestational age and ventricle size in a normal population.
OBJECTIVE
To study the association between fetal middle cerebral artery flow and the lateral cerebral ventricular width throughout gestation.


METHODS
The study is a prospective cohort evaluation of 430 singleton male and female fetuses between 20 and 40 weeks' normal gestation. Abdominal ultrasonography and Doppler measurements were performed to measure the fetal atrial ventricular size and resistance index (RI) of the middle cerebral artery.


RESULTS
The mean (+/- standard deviation) ventricular width was 6.2 +/- 1.2 mm. The modification in the RI of the middle cerebral artery throughout gestation showed a biphasic mode, increasing gradually to a peak at 30 weeks' gestation and decreasing progressively thereafter. No significant correlation was found between the middle cerebral artery flow and the lateral cerebral ventricular width (r =.11). In addition to the 430 cases studied, three cases of mild ventriculomegaly and three cases of hydrocephalus were evaluated. The RI of the middle cerebral artery was within the normal range in all six of these cases.


CONCLUSIONS
Fetal middle cerebral artery blood flow is not affected by the width of the lateral ventricles, even in enlarged ventricles.
Zalel
Yaron
Y
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel. zalel_y@netvision.net.il
Almog
Benny
B
Seidman
Daniel S
DS
Achiron
Reuven
R
Lidor
Arie
A
Gamzu
Ronni
R
D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000196:embryology*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020768:Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000196:embryology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000502:physiology*