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Objective: To compare the adrenal gland size of fetal growth restricted (FGR) and normal control fetuses. Study design: In this prospective study the adrenal gland size of 63 FGR fetuses and 343 normal controls was measured between 20 and 41 weeks of gestation. The total width and the medulla width were measured in a new standardized transversal plane. The cortex width and a calculated ratio of the total and medulla width (adrenal gland ratio) were compared between both groups. Results: The mean cortex width and the adrenal gland ratio in FGR fetuses were higher in comparison to the controls (P<0.001; P=0.036, respectively). The cortex width correlated positively with the gestational age (control group: P<0.001; FGR group: P=0.089) whilst the adrenal gland ratio showed no association with the gestational age (control group: P=0.153; FGR group: P=0.314). Conclusion: The adrenal gland cortex width and the adrenal gland ratio were increased in FGR fetuses compared to normal fetuses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine whether certain rheumatic diseases will affect the fetal thymus diameter when compared to uncomplicated singleton pregnancies. Additionally, we created a reference chart for fetal thymus size in healthy singleton pregnancies from 19 to 37 weeks of gestation. Methods: Sonographic fetal thymus size was retrospectively evaluated in 190 healthy pregnant women, and 84 pregnancies of mothers suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus, antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), or Sjögren's syndrome between 19 and 37 weeks of gestation. These fetuses were matched one-to-one for gestational age with control fetuses. The thymic-thoracic ratio (TT-ratio) was defined as the quotient of the anteroposterior thymic and the intrathoracic mediastinal diameter. Results: Rheumatic diseases often affect pregnancy outcome, especially in case of primary APS. The TT ratio of fetuses of mothers suffering from rheumatic disease was equal to controls (P=0.807). Conclusions: Ours is the first study to assess the correlation of fetal thymus size in high-risk pregnancies with rheumatic diseases in comparison to controls. Women with rheumatic diseases deal with pregnancy complications more frequently than controls. Our data suggest that maternal rheumatic diseases do not affect the fetal thymus size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The purpose of our study was to quantify the fetal myocardial function in pregnant women with diabetic diseases (FDM) and in normal controls (FC) using speckle tracking echocardiography (STE). Methods In this prospective study, the myocardial strain and dyssynchrony were analyzed using STE in a transversal four-chamber view in 180 fetuses (53 FDM, 127 FC) between 19 and 39 weeks of gestation. The measurements of the global and segmental longitudinal strain of both chambers (2C) and of the single left chamber (1C) were executed offline via QLab 10.5 (Philips Medical Systems, Andover, MA, USA). We assessed dyssynchrony as the time difference between peaks in strain in the mid segments of both chambers (interventricular dyssynchrony, 2C&#95;DYS) and of the single left chamber (intraventricular dyssynchrony, 1C&#95;DYS). Results Measurements were feasible with a high median frame rate of 199 frames/s (1st quartile: 174, 3rd quartile: 199). The global and segmental myocardial longitudinal strain of 2C and 1C were decreased and 2C&#95;DYS and 1C&#95;DYS were increased in pregnancies with diabetes compared to normal controls. Conclusion Our study demonstrates that fetal hearts affected by maternal diabetes mellitus (DM) show low myocardial strain values and high interventricular dyssynchrony. Two-chamber interventricular dyssynchrony has the potential to become a diagnostic marker for DM.