Sonographic measurement of thymic size in preterm infants: prediction model for thymic size in the Indian subcontinent
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Published on: August 23, 2022
Sarita Magu1, Geeta Gathwala, Shalini Agarwal
1Department of Radiodiagnosis, Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak, 124001, Haryana, India. snkmagu@gmail.com
Objective:
To study the relationship of thymic size in vivo in preterm infants with gestational age (GA), birth-weight (BW) and length of the baby.
Methods:
Two hundred consecutive preterm, appropriate for GA, asymptomatic neonates with GA between 26 and 36 wk and BW between 1000 and 2700 g were examined during the first week following delivery. Neonates of mothers with medical complications were excluded from the study. Thymic size was assessed sonographically and thymic index (Ti) was calculated.
Results:
The mean gestational age was 32.62 ± 2.32 wk, the mean birth weight was 1850 ± 41 g and the mean length was 42.93 ± 3.09 cm. The number of boys were 109 (54.5%) and the number of girls were 91 (45.5%). The mean Ti in boys (4.11 ± 2.10) was similar to that in girls (4.36 ± 2.05). Thymic index was positively correlated with GA and length and the correlation was not significant with BW and sex of the infant.
Conclusions:
The sonographic method is a safe and effective technique for measuring the size of the thymus in preterm infants. A normal range of Ti has been established and correlates positively with GA and length and negatively with BW and sex of the preterm infants of the Indian subcontinent.
