title: A nomogram of fetal lung volumes estimated by 3-dimensional ultrasonography using the rotational technique (virtual organ computer-aided analysis).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to build a nomogram of normal fetal lung volumes throughout gestational age estimated by 3-dimensional ultrasonography using the rotational technique (Virtual Organ Computer-Aided Analysis [VOCAL]; GE Healthcare, Kretztechnik, Zipf, Austria).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fetal lung volume was assessed in 146 healthy fetuses by 3-dimensional ultrasonography using the technique of rotation of the multiplanar imaging (VOCAL). Inclusion criteria were healthy women with singleton normal pregnancies, normal fetal morphologic ultrasonographic findings, reliable dating established by dates and by ultrasonographic measurement of the crown-lump length in the first trimester, and gestational age from 20 to 37 weeks. Exclusion criteria were discordance between clinical and ultrasonographic dating, patients lost to follow-up, and birth weight disorders. Each patient was scanned once during pregnancy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The right, left, and total mean pulmonary volumes ranged, respectively, from 5.37, 4.66, and 9.95 cm3 at 20 weeks to 46.06, 37.34, and 84.35 cm3 at 37 weeks. The logistic transformation analysis yielded the following formulas: right lung volume = exp(4.07/[1 + exp(21.90 - gestational age/5.44)]); left lung volume = exp(3.82/(1 + exp[22.03 - gestational age/5.17)]); and, total lung volume = exp(4.72/[1 + exp(20.30 - gestational age/6.05)]).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A new nomogram of fetal lung (right, left, and total) volumes throughout gestational age using the rotational technique (VOCAL) is described, and reference values have been generated.
authors.affiliation: Maternité, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, 149 rue de Sèvres, 75743 Paris Cedex 15, France. rodrigoruano@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ruano
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Joubin
authors.forename: Marie-Cécile
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Aubry
authors.forename: Jean-Christophe
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Thalabard
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dommergues
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dumez
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Benachi
mesh_terms: D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000196:embryology*; D049451:Nomograms; D009929:Organ Size; D011247:Pregnancy; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000379:methods*