title: Quantitative Anatomy of the Growing Lungs in the Human Fetus.
abstract: Using anatomical, digital, and statistical methods we examined the three-dimensional growth of the lungs in 67 human fetuses aged 16-25 weeks. The lung dimensions revealed no sex differences. The transverse and sagittal diameters and the base circumference were greater in the right lungs while the lengths of anterior and posterior margins and the lung height were greater in the left lungs. The best-fit curves for all the lung parameters were natural logarithmic models. The transverse-to-sagittal diameter ratio remained stable and averaged 0.56 ± 0.08 and 0.52 ± 0.08 for the right and left lungs, respectively. For the right and left lungs, the transverse diameter-to-height ratio significantly increased from 0.74 ± 0.09 to 0.92 ± 0.08 and from 0.56 ± 0.07 to 0.79 ± 0.09, respectively. The sagittal diameter-to-height ratio significantly increased from 1.41 ± 0.23 to 1.66 ± 0.18 in the right lung, and from 1.27 ± 0.17 to 1.48 ± 0.22 in the left lung. In the fetal lungs, their proportionate increase in transverse and sagittal diameters considerably accelerates with relation to the lung height. The lung dimensions in the fetus are relevant in the evaluation of the normative pulmonary growth and the diagnosis of pulmonary hypoplasia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Normal Anatomy, Collegium Medicum of Nicolaus Copernicus University, Łukasiewicza 1 Street, 85-821 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Michał
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szpinda
authors.affiliation: Department of Normal Anatomy, Collegium Medicum of Nicolaus Copernicus University, Łukasiewicza 1 Street, 85-821 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Waldemar
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Siedlaczek
authors.affiliation: Department of Normal Anatomy, Collegium Medicum of Nicolaus Copernicus University, Łukasiewicza 1 Street, 85-821 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szpinda
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biology, Collegium Medicum of Nicolaus Copernicus University, Karlowicza 24 Street, 85-092 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Alina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Woźniak
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biology, Collegium Medicum of Nicolaus Copernicus University, Karlowicza 24 Street, 85-092 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Celestyna
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mila-Kierzenkowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Normal Anatomy, Collegium Medicum of Nicolaus Copernicus University, Łukasiewicza 1 Street, 85-821 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Mateusz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Badura
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology; D005333:Fetus / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D008297:Male; D038081:Organogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy