Comparison of measurements of the transverse diameter and perimeter of the fetal thymus obtained by magnetic resonance and ultrasound imaging

León‐Luis, Juan De; Ruiz, Yolanda; Gámez, Francisco; Pintado, Pilar; Oyelese, Yinka; Pereda, A. Cardín; Ortiz-Quintana, Luís; Santolaya-Forgas, Joaquín

doi:10.1002/jmri.22547

Cited by 17 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…This ratio is not correlated to gestational age or fetal biometry and was found to be 0.44 ± 0.04 Thymus volume can be measured by 3D ultrasound . In addition MRI measurements of fetal thymus transverse diameter and perimeter at the upper mediastinal plane were comparable to those obtained by 2D ultrasound (Figure ). The interested reader is referred to the study by Zalel et al, which generated a reference table for fetal thymus measurements …”

Section: Changes In Thymus Sizementioning

confidence: 75%

The use of imaging technology in the assessment of the fetal inflammatory response syndrome—imaging of the fetal thymus

et al. 2015

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The fetal inflammatory response syndrome (FIRS) describes a state of extensive fetal multi organ involvement during chorioamnionitis, and is associated with grave implications on perinatal outcome. The syndrome has been linked to the preterm parturition syndrome and is associated with inflammation/infection processes in most of the fetal organs. The fetal thymus, a major organ in the developing immune system involutes during severe neonatal disease and has been shown to be smaller in fetuses with FIRS. Various methods for imaging of the fetal thymus and measurement are described. Currently the only method to diagnose FIRS prenatally is through amniocentesis. We suggest that women who are admitted with preterm labor with intact membranes and those with PPROM should have a detailed sonographic examination of the fetal thymus as a surrogate marker of fetal involvement in intrauterine infection/inflammation processes.

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Section: Changes In Thymus Sizementioning

confidence: 75%

The use of imaging technology in the assessment of the fetal inflammatory response syndrome—imaging of the fetal thymus

et al. 2015

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“…In a study comparing ultrasonography with magnetic resonance (MR), ultrasonographic evaluation was found to have similar sensitivity to MR [33]. Ultrasonic measurements of fetal diameter are closely correlated with measurements of thymic volume obtained during autopsy [34].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy may affect fetal thymus development

Gür

Gur²,

İnce³

et al. 2016

Ginekol Pol

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Objectives: The aim of our study was to evaluate the association of vitamin D deficiency (VDD) during pregnancy with thymus size in full-term fetuses. Material and methods:In this prospective study, we evaluated mid-pregnancy serum 25-hydroxyvitamin Conclusions:Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy may be associated with smaller fetal thymus. Our data suggest that VDD in pregnancy may lead to systemic inflammatory response in the fetus.

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“…Sonographers participated in a formal in-service training program, consisting of a didactic session in which the landmarks for the 3-vessel view and fetal thymus were reviewed ( Figure 1). For objective assessment of whether the sonographers could obtain accurate images of the thymus in the 3-vessel view, the sonographers were instructed to measure the transverse thymus diameter [23][24][25][26][27] as the widest transverse diameter of the thymus, the anteroposterior thymus diameter 28,29 as the widest anteroposterior diameter of the thymus from the internal aspect of the sternum to the internal aspect of the aorta, and the thymic-thoracic ratio 30 as the anteroposterior thymus diameter over the anteroposterior chest diameter (from the internal aspect of the sternum to the internal aspect of the thoracic spine). As a ratio, the Fetal thymus measurements were obtained in the 3-vessel view as described by Yoo et al 13 The fetal thymus is visualized adjacent to the great vessels in the anterior mediastinum.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Second‐Trimester Sonographic Thymus Measurements Are Not Associated With Preterm Birth and Other Adverse Obstetric Outcomes

Brandt

Bastek

Wang

et al. 2016

J of Ultrasound Medicine

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reterm birth, which is defined as delivery before 37 weeks' gestation, is responsible for 35% of deaths in the first year of life and more than $26 billion in annual health care costs. 1 Current methods for identifying women at increased risk for preterm birth are inadequate. Although universal cervical length screening during the second-trimester anatomic survey may identify patients at risk for spontaneous preterm birth, many patients with normal second-trimester cervical length measurements will still have preterm birth. [2][3][4] Justin S. Brandt, MD, Jamie A. Bastek, MD, MSCE, Eileen Wang, MD, Stephanie Purisch, MD, Nadav Schwartz, MD Received July 2, 2015, ORIGINAL RESEARCHObjectives-Previous studies have demonstrated an association between adverse obstetric outcomes, such as preterm birth, and in utero inflammation. The fetal thymus, which can be visualized in the anterior mediastinum on obstetric sonography, may involute in response to such inflammation and thus may identify pregnancies at increased risk for these outcomes. We therefore sought to determine whether secondtrimester fetal thymus measurements are associated with preterm birth.Methods-Transabdominal fetal thymus measurements were prospectively obtained in singleton pregnancies at gestational ages of 18 weeks to 23 weeks 6 days during a 5-month period. The transverse and anterorposterior thymus diameters and the thymicthoracic ratio were measured. Delivery outcomes were collected from our clinical database. The primary outcome was preterm birth, which we defined as delivery between 24 weeks and 36 weeks 6 days. Small for gestational age (SGA) and pregnancyrelated hypertension, which are adverse obstetric outcomes that may also be associated with in utero inflammation, were included as secondary outcomes.Results-We included 520 patients with thymus measurements and obstetric outcome data. The prevalence of preterm birth was 12.3% (n = 64). None of the thymus measurements were associated with preterm birth. Similarly, there was no association between thymus measurements and SGA or pregnancy-related hypertension.Conclusions-Sonographic assessment of the second-trimester fetal thymus did not identify patients at increased risk for preterm birth, SGA, and pregnancy-related hypertension. Routine thymus measurements during the second-trimester anatomic scan are not clinically useful for prediction of preterm birth and other adverse outcomes.

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Comparison of measurements of the transverse diameter and perimeter of the fetal thymus obtained by magnetic resonance and ultrasound imaging

Cited by 17 publications

References 27 publications

The use of imaging technology in the assessment of the fetal inflammatory response syndrome—imaging of the fetal thymus

The use of imaging technology in the assessment of the fetal inflammatory response syndrome—imaging of the fetal thymus

Vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy may affect fetal thymus development

Second‐Trimester Sonographic Thymus Measurements Are Not Associated With Preterm Birth and Other Adverse Obstetric Outcomes

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