title: Fetal short femur length in the second trimester and the outcome of pregnancy.
abstract: We reviewed 86 consecutive cases with fetal femur length (FL) below the 10th centile of our reference ranges at midtrimester ultrasonography. Three groups were identified based on perinatal outcome: normal infants (n= 28), newborns with structural and/or chromosomal anomalies (n= 40), small-for-gestational age (SGA) newborns (n= 18). Fetuses with skeletal dysplasias (n= 13) had significantly shorter FL. Aneuploidies were only found in fetuses with malformations other than skeletal dysplasias. The diagnosis of SGA, based on ultrasound abdominal circumference measurement <10th centile, was made 9 weeks (range 5-14) after the finding of a short FL. Half of these cases also developed pre-eclampsia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Unit, University of Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Todros
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Massarenti
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gaglioti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Biolcati
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Botta
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Felice
mesh_terms: D000028:Abortion, Induced; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000196:embryology; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005333:Fetus / Q000002:abnormalities; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal