title: Liver volume in trisomy 21 and euploid fetuses at 11 to 13 weeks.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare liver volume between trisomy 21 and euploid fetuses at 11 to 13 weeks' gestation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fetal liver volume was measured by 3D ultrasound in fetuses at low risk of aneuploidies (n = 200) and another group at high risk, including 148 euploid and 37 with trisomy 21. The association of liver volume with fetal nuchal translucency (NT) thickness, tricuspid regurgitation and reversed a-wave in the ductus venosus was investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the low-risk group, fetal liver volume increased exponentially with fetal crown-rump length (CRL) from a median of 0.5 cm(3) at CRL of 45 mm to about 2.5 cm(3) at CRL of 84 mm. In 27 (73.0%) of the trisomy 21 fetuses liver volume was above the 95th percentile of the low-risk group, whereas in the euploid fetuses liver volume was not significantly altered (P = 0.521). There were no significant contributions to liver volume from fetal NT (P = 0.508), tricuspid regurgitation (P = 0.958) or reversed a-wave in the ductus venosus (P = 0.872).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In trisomy 21 fetuses at 11 to 13 weeks liver volume is increased.
authors.affiliation: Harris Birthright Research Centre of Fetal Medicine, King's College Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: Yuval
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gielchinsky
authors.forename: Mona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zvanca
authors.forename: Ryoko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Minekawa
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Persico
authors.forename: Kypros H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Nicolaides
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018568:Crown-Rump Length; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000196:embryology*; D048208:Nuchal Translucency Measurement; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014262:Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000196:embryology; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal