Fetal frontomaxillary facial angle between 11 and 13 + 6 weeks of gestation in a Brazilian population: influence of different races.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the influence of different races over the measurement of the frontomaxillary facial angle between 11 and 13 + 6 weeks of pregnancy in a Brazilian population.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted with 332 healthy pregnant women, with a crown-rump length (CRL) between 47 and 84 mm. Such measurements were taken abdominally, using the mid-sagittal plane, and the angle was measured by tracing a line over the palate and a line from the anterosuperior maxillary angle all the way to the external part of the forehead. As for the reference intervals, a simple linear regression between the frontomaxillary facial angle and the CRL was used, as well as Pearson's correlation coefficient (r). To evaluate the difference between races, a variance analysis was used (ANOVA). To calculate reproducibility, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used.


RESULTS
The means for the fetal frontomaxillary facial angle in white, black and mixed races were 81.8 ± 6.6; 82.2 ± 6.1 and 81.4 ± 6.2 mm, respectively. There was no statistical difference between races (p = 0.713). A decreasing correlation between the frontomaxillary facial angle and the CRL was observed for the black (r = -0.450) and mixed (r = -0.212) races. Excellent intraobserver reproducibility was observed, as well as a satisfactory interobserver reproducibility, with ICC of 0.858 and 0.605, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
There were no significative statistical differences in the measurement of the fetal frontomaxillary facial angle between 11 and 13 + 6 weeks of pregnancy in the different races in a Brazilian population.
Department of Obstetrics, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo - SP, Brazil.
Ana Paula Nascimento
AP
Panigassi
Edward
E
Araujo Júnior
Luciano Marcondes Machado
LM
Nardozza
Antonio Fernandes
AF
Moron
David Baptista da Silva
DB
Pares
D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000208:ethnology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018568:Crown-Rump Length; D005145:Face / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000196:embryology; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008437:Maxilla / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000196:embryology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D044469:Racial Groups; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D055815:Young Adult