title: [Fetal brain fissures development a three-dimensional ultrasonography study].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to assess the distance of the fetal cerebral fissures from the inner edge of the skull by three-dimensional ultrasonography (3DUS).
  
  
  METHODS
  this cross-sectional study included 80 women with normal pregnancies between 21st and 34th weeks. The distances between the Sylvian, parieto-occiptal, hippocampus and calcarine fissures and the internal surface of the fetal skull were measured. For the evaluation of the distance of the first three fissures, an axial three-dimensional scan was obtained (at the level of the lateral ventricles). To obtain the calcarine fissure measurement, a coronal scan was used (at the level of the occipital lobes). First degree regressions were performed to assess the correlation between fissure measurements and gestational age, using the determination coefficient (R²) for adjustment. The 5th, 50th and 95th percentiles were calculated for each fissure measurement. Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) was used to assess the correlation between fissure measurements and the biparietal diameter (BPD) and head circumference (HC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  all fissure measurements were linearly correlated with gestational age (Sylvian: R²=0.5; parieto-occiptal: R²= 0.7; hippocampus: R²= 0.3 and calcarine: R²= 0.3). Mean fissure measurement ranged from 7.0 to 14.0 mm, 15.9 to 28.7 mm, 15.4 to 25.4 mm and 15.7 to 24.8 mm for the Sylvian, parieto-occiptal, hippocampus and calcarine fissures, respectively. The Sylvian and parieto-occiptal fissure measurements had the highest correlations with the BPD (r=0.8 and 0.7, respectively) and HC (r=0.7 and 0.8, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  the distance from the fetal cerebral fissures to the inner edge of the skull measured by 3DUS was positively correlated with gestational age.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Obstetrícia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brasil.
authors.forename: Cynthia Maria Soares
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Araujo Júnior
authors.forename: Luciano Marcondes Machado
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Nardozza
authors.forename: Patrícia Soares de
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Suzan Menasce
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Goldman
authors.forename: Sérgio Aron
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ajzen
authors.forename: Antonio Fernandes
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Moron
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000196:embryology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004453:Echoencephalography; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal