Estimation of the amniotic fluid volume using the Cavalieri method on ultrasound images.
OBJECTIVE
Presently, a design-based and practical method for measuring amniotic fluid volume (AFV) for routine clinical examinations has not been proposed. In this study we describe a new method, which combines the Cavalieri method with ultrasound imaging to estimate AFV.


METHODS
We measured the AFVs of 14 women in the third trimester of pregnancy, and repeated our measurements three times for each woman. Parallel planimetric ultrasonographic images were obtained at every 2 cm along the longitudinal uterine axis. AFVs were calculated as the total of the multiples of the estimated cut surface areas by the section thickness.


RESULTS
The mean estimated AFV was 380.5 cm3. The coefficient of error of each measurement was calculated and the mean was 0.108. The coefficient of correlation between the amniotic fluid index and our AFV estimations was 0.87.


CONCLUSIONS
Design-based and efficient estimation of AFV is possible with the combination of consecutive ultrasound images and the Cavalieri method.
Sahin
B
B
Department of Anatomy, Medical School, Ondokuz Mayis University, 55139, Samsun, Turkey. bsahin@omu.edu.tr
Alper
T
T
Kökçü
A
A
Malatyalioglu
E
E
Kosif
R
R
D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001837:Body Weights and Measures / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000379:methods*; D014599:Uterus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging