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Updated: Apr 6, 2026
Fetal Echocardiography and Pulsed-wave Doppler Ultrasound in a Rabbit Model of Intrauterine Growth Restriction
Published on: June 29, 2013
Assessment of Intracranial Structure Volumes in Fetuses With Growth Restriction by 3-Dimensional Sonography Using the
Ana Carolina Rabachini Caetano1, Ana Cristina Perez Zamarian1, E Araujo Júnior2
1Department of Obstetrics, Paulista School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Objectives:
To assess intracranial structure volumes by 3-dimensional (3D) sonography in fetuses with growth restriction.
Methods:
We conducted a prospective cross-sectional case-control study involving 59 fetuses with growth restriction (38 fetuses with estimated weight <3rd percentile and 21 fetuses with estimated weight between 3rd and 10th percentiles, according to Hadlock et al [Radiology 1984; 150:535-540]) and 54 controls between 24 and 34 weeks' gestation. The following fetal intracranial structure volumes were assessed: cerebellum, brain, and frontal region. The volume was assessed by 3D sonography using the extended imaging virtual organ computer-aided analysis method with 10 sequential planes. Analysis of variance was used to compare fetal groups. The intraclass correlation coefficient was used to assess intraobserver and interobserver reproducibility.
Results:
Statistical significance between the brain, frontal region, and cerebellar volumes and a relationship between the frontal region and the brain in fetuses with estimated weights below the 3rd percentile and controls were observed (P < .001; P < .001; and P = .002; and P = .008, respectively). Good intraobserver and interobserver reproducibility was observed for the fetal brain, frontal region, and cerebellar volumes, with intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.998, 0.997, 0.997, 0.999, 0.997, and 0.998, respectively.
Conclusions:
The intracranial structure volumes assessed by 3D sonography using the extended imaging virtual organ computer-aided analysis method were reduced in fetuses with growth restriction (estimated weight <3rd percentile).
