Clitoris Development During 2nd Gestational Trimester in Human Fetuses

Studies about the clitoris development during the 2nd gestational trimester in human fetuses are scarce in literature. The objective of this paper is to compare the fetal morphometric parameters with the clitoris development during the human 2nd gestational trimester carrying out measures of clitoris length, clitoris width and the distance between the clitoris to anus distance (CAD). We studied 20 female fetuses, aged between 12 to 22 weeks post-conception (WPC). The fetuses were evaluated regarding crown-rump length (CRL) and body weight immediately before dissection. Clitoral length; width and CAD were measured after dissection of clitoris, considering the largest visible axes. The biometric parameters were recorded and measurements were done using the Image J software, version 1.46r. Linear regression models were applied to evaluate the relationships between clitoral dimensions and fetal parameters. Clitoris length varied from 1.97 to 3.98mm (mean =3,28); clitoris width varied from 0.36 to 3.42mm (mean=1.93) and CAD varied from 0.23 to 20.85mm (mean=12.78). When both clitoral length and width were analyzed simultaneously in relation to fetal age, clitoral width showed a moderate positive correlation, while clitoral length exhibited a weak negative correlation, without statistical significance. CAD showed moderate positive correlations with fetal weight and CRL, both reaching statistical significance, whereas only a weak, non-significant correlation was observed with fetal age. In conclusion the clitoral morphometric parameters exhibit distinct patterns of association with fetal development. Clitoral width appears to be more closely related to gestational progression, whereas clitoral length does not show a consistent association with developmental parameters. In contrast, the CAD is more strongly associated with overall fetal growth than with fetal age alone.