title: Smaller fetal thymuses in pre-eclampsia: a prospective cross-sectional study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether the thymus is smaller in fetuses of pre-eclamptic mothers than in those of normal controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional, prospective, comparative study of sonographically determined fetal thymus measurements in 39 pregnancies with pre-eclampsia and 70 healthy pregnancies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both the diameter and the perimeter of the fetal thymus were smaller in pregnancies with pre-eclampsia than in healthy controls. The means of the thymus diameters were 28.6 ± 5.9 and 32.9 ± 4.5 mm and of thymus perimeters 80.9 ± 16.5 and 93.1 ± 16.6 mm for pre-eclamptic and healthy pregnancies, respectively (P < 0.001). General linear models showed that smaller fetal thymuses in pre-eclampsia were independent of gestational age, estimated fetal weight, small for gestational age status and antenatal steroid use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pre-eclampsia is associated with smaller fetal thymuses.
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Sydney Medical School Nepean, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Eviston
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Quinton
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Benzie
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Kirby
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Peek
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Nanan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D009929:Organ Size; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000196:embryology / Q000473:pathology; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult