title: Fetal age estimation using MSCT scans of the mandible.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine a documented fetal collection, to carry out morphometric analysis of femoral length and of the mandible, and to develop diagnostic standards for estimating fetal age at death based on multislice computed tomography (MSCT) reconstructions. The sample was composed of 81 fetuses, whose ages were recorded in weeks of amenorrhea (WA) between 20 to 40 WA. The measurements made were femoral length (FL) and six distances and four angles of the mandible. Femoral length was measured in 81 fetuses (39 females and 42 males). Morphometric study of the mandible was carried out in 65 fetuses (31 females and 34 males), as the mandible was missing in 16 fetuses. R software was used for statistical analyses. Coefficient correlation (R(2)) and linear regression formulas were calculated. Intra-observer and inter-observer variabilities were very satisfactory (intra-class correlation coefficient ≥0.95). Our method appears to be reliable and reproducible. Femoral length was most strongly correlated with age (R(2) = 0.9). The measurement of six distances and four mandible angles from four landmark positions showed a correlation similar to the femoral length correlation (R(2) ≥ 0.72). The results of this study agreed with those of the literature. We conclude that the mandible is a reliable indicator for estimating fetal age at death. Moreover, MSCT has been shown to be an innovative and reliable technology for this purpose.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Anthropologie Moléculaire et Imagerie de Synthèse AMIS, UMR 5288 CNRS, Faculté de Médecine, 37 allées Jules Guesde, 31073, Toulouse, France, minier.m@chu-toulouse.fr.
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Minier
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dedouit
authors.forename: Delphine
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maret
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vergnault
authors.forename: Fathima-Zohra
authors.initials: FZ
authors.lastname: Mokrane
authors.forename: Hervé
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rousseau
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Adalian
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Telmon
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rougé
mesh_terms: D000365:Age Determination by Skeleton / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000196:embryology; D047109:Fetal Development; D018732:Forensic Anthropology; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000196:embryology*; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography; D015588:Observer Variation