Relationship among anogenital distance, adrenal gland volume, and penile length and width at 22–36 weeks of pregnancy

Abstract

Objectives The subject of current work was to determine the relationship of fetal ultrasonographic biomarkers, including anogenital distance (AGD), adrenal gland volume, and penile length and width in mothers with male fetuses at 22–36 weeks of gestation for the assessment of the effect of fetal adrenal gland producing androgens on the male anogenital structures that are exposed to androgen effects as anogenital region and penis. Methods This study is a prospective cross-sectional study conducted in our hospital’s outpatient perinatal care unit. One hundred and seventy pregnant women with a male fetus aged 22–36 weeks of gestation were included in the study. The fetal adrenal gland length, width, and depth for the calculation of adrenal volume, AGD, and penile length and width were measured for each participant. The Pearson coefficients were calculated to assess the correlation among these parameters. Results The adrenal gland volume had a meaningful, positive moderate relationship with both the AGD (r=0.60) and penile length and width (r=0.57 and r=0.59, respectively; p<0.001). The AGD had a positive, strong correlation with the penile length and width (r=0.74 and r=0.76, respectively; p<0.001). Conclusions The fetal adrenal gland as one of the androgen sources of the fetus is an influencer of the development of the anogenital and penile region. The findings of the current study support that the adrenal gland considerably affects the masculinization of male fetuses, since there were remarkable correlations among the AGD, adrenal gland volume, and penile length and width.