title: Growth curves of the fetal prostate based on three-dimensional reconstructions: a correlation with gestational age and maternal testosterone levels.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To create a nomogram of the fetal growth of the human prostate corresponding to gestational age, and to investigate the relationship between the expansive growth of the fetal prostate and the maternal testosterone surge during pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  In all, 27 fetal prostates at 11-40 weeks of gestation, and seven neonatal specimens at 1-20 weeks after birth, were analysed. Serial sections of prostates were immunostained and examined using light microscopy. After modular image acquisition the volumes were calculated using three-dimensional reconstruction. The prostate volumes were correlated with gestational age, and related to reference testosterone levels during pregnancy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was exponential growth of the fetal prostate with gestational age. The increasing volume of the prostate during the fetal period corresponded with maternal testosterone levels. In the second trimester there was a significant increase in prostate volume in relation to the bladder. In infants, macroscopically there was an inverse proportion between bladder size and prostate volume.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Starting from the second trimester there is distinct growth of the fetal prostate, obviously triggered by the maternal testosterone surge. In neonates there is an inversion of the dimensions between bladder and prostate. These results indicating exponential growth of the fetal prostate provide evidence of a gender-related transient infravesical obstruction in human fetuses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Urology, Medical University Innsbruck, Austria. andreas.lunacek@uibk.ac.at
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lunacek
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oswald
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schwentner
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schlenck
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Horninger
authors.forename: Helga
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fritsch
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Longato
authors.forename: Consolato
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sergi
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bartsch
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Radmayr
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D049451:Nomograms; D011247:Pregnancy; D011467:Prostate / Q000196:embryology* / Q000473:pathology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*; D014517:Ureteral Obstruction / Q000151:congenital* / Q000473:pathology; D014718:Vesico-Ureteral Reflux / Q000151:congenital* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone