title: Maxillary dental arch biometry: assessment with fetal MR imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To define normal growth of the fetal maxillary dental arch using magnetic resonance imaging.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four hundred twenty-four consecutive fetuses (18 to 37 weeks) with a morphologically normal anatomy or only minor malformations, not affecting bone growth and face anatomy were included. On axial T2-weighted images the dental arch length and width were measured. The measurements were correlated with gestational age and the biparietal diameter (BPD) of the fetal head using correlation and regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A linear growth relationship was observed between the dental arch length and gestational age (r = 0.86; p = < 0.0001; y = -1.85 + 0.75 × gestational age) and the dental arch width and gestational age (r = 0.92; p = < 0.0001; y = -2.19 + 1.05 × gestational age). A significant correlation was found between the dental arch length and the BPD (r = 0.903; p = < 0.0001) and the dental arch width and the BPD (r = 0.927; p = < 0.0001). The interobserver variability showed good agreement for the dental arch length (intraclass coefficient 0.981; r = 0.963) and width (intraclass coefficient 0.987; r = 0.974), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We present a nomogram for the in utero assessment of the fetal dental arch. These data may help in the early detection of abnormal dental arch development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria. mariella.mailath-pokorny@meduniwien.ac.at
authors.forename: Mariella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mailath-Pokorny
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: Christof
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Worda
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Peter C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Brugger
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Czerny
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Nemec
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Prayer
mesh_terms: D000886:Anthropometry; D003724:Dental Arch / Q000196:embryology*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008437:Maxilla / Q000196:embryology*; D049451:Nomograms; D015588:Observer Variation; D011247:Pregnancy; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies