Prenatal sonographic evaluation of male genitalia development.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate the sonographic development of normal fetal male genitalia.


METHODS
A longitudinal study was performed on 60 male fetuses. The development of penis, prepuce and presence of testes in scrotum were observed with a high resolution transabdominal ultrasonography between weeks 11 and 40.


RESULTS
The overall success of identifying correctly the fetal male gender increased with gestational age from 46% to 80%, and 96% at 12, 13 and 14 week, respectively. The number of the scans performed in relation to the gestational age from week 11 to week 14 improves the ability to assign the male gender and to report the penile length (P<0.05); the earliest observations of descend testis were at 24 weeks. The bilateral observation of testicular descend was at 31 weeks in 98% of fetuses.


CONCLUSIONS
Development of male genitalia is easy evaluated through the pregnancy. This could be useful to early identify male genitalia abnormalities.
Department of Surgical Sciences, Pediatric Surgical Unit, University of Verona, Policlinico 'G.B. Rossi', and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ultrasound Unit, Civile Maggiore, Hospital, Verona, Italy. dr.zampieri@libero.it
N
N
Zampieri
C
C
Zamboni
A
A
Ghidini
F
F
Borruto
F S
FS
Camoglio
D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus; D005837:Genitalia, Male / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010413:Penis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011247:Pregnancy; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012732:Sex Determination Analysis / Q000379:methods; D013737:Testis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013997:Time Factors; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal