title: The normal growth of the pulmonary trunk in human foetuses.
abstract: The rate of growth of the pulmonary trunk during gestation has not been sufficiently determined. The present study was performed on 128 spontaneously aborted human foetuses aged 15-34 weeks in order to compile normative data for pulmonary trunk dimensions at various gestational ages. With the use of anatomical dissection, digital-image analysis (the Leica QWin Pro 16 system) and statistical analysis (ANOVA, regression analysis) a range of measurements (length, diameter and volume) was analysed for the pulmonary trunk during gestation. No significant gender differences were found (p>0.05). Growth curves were generated of the best fit for the plot for each morphometric feature against gestational age. The results obtained show a statistically significant correlation (p<0.001) between the parameters examined and gestational age. Both the length and diameter of the pulmonary trunk were found to increase in a linear fashion throughout gestation. The length ranged from 3.17+/-0.36 mm to 13.54+/-1.39 mm, according to the linear function y=-5.6035+0.5705x+/-0.9171 (r=0.96). The diameter ranged from 1.51+/-0.24 mm to 5.30+/-1.53 mm, according to the linear model y=-1.4813+0.2154x+/-0.7452 (r=0.86). The pulmonary trunk volume ranged from 5.94+/-2.21 mm3 to 312.37+/-154.34 mm3, according to the quadratic function y=143.2-20.961x+0.791x2+/-63.306 (R2=0.74). The growth curves generated from my data may be useful as a reference for foetal echocardiographers in the detection of congenital cardiovascular abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Normal Anatomy, the Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, the Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń, Poland. kizanat@cm.umk.pl
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szpinda
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000196:embryology*; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000196:embryology*; D008297:Male; D038081:Organogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000196:embryology*; D011652:Pulmonary Circulation; D012016:Reference Values; D012727:Sex Characteristics