Relationship of intertwin crown-rump length discrepancy to chorionicity, fetal demise and birth-weight discordance

Abstract

Objectives: To study the frequency and clinical significance of crown-rump length (CRL) discrepancy at 11-14 weeks of gestation in twin pregnancies from an unselected population.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of all twin pregnancies that underwent a routine 11-14-week scan at a large teaching hospital. Fetal loss was defined as fetal demise of one or both twins after 14 weeks.

Results: A total of 507 twin pregnancies were studied; 382 (75.3%) were dichorionic and 125 (24.7%) were monochorionic twins. The discrepancy in CRL was expressed as a percentage of the CRL of the larger twin. The 95(th) and 99(th) centile for CRL discrepancy in twins was 12.2% and 19.3%, respectively. The discrepancy in CRLs in monochorionic and dichorionic twins was not significantly different (Mann-Whitney U = 22,406, P = 0.302). In 39 twin pairs, there was subsequent intrauterine death of one or both twins. Fetal loss was more common in monochorionic twins (24/125) than in dichorionic twins (15/382) (chi-square = 30.9, P < 0.001). In monochorionic twins, the discrepancy in CRLs in the 24 cases with subsequent loss was significantly greater than in the 101 twin pairs with no subsequent loss (Mann-Whitney U = 896, P = 0.048). The discrepancy in CRLs in 15 dichorionic twins with subsequent loss was not different from that in the 367 twins with no loss (Mann-Whitney U = 2116.5, P = 0.129). The CRL discrepancy was significantly correlated with birth-weight discordance in twins (Spearman's rho = 0.128, P = 0.006). However, this was due to a significant correlation in dichorionic twins (Spearman's rho = 0.127, P = 0.016) but not in monochorionic twins (Spearman's rho = 0.145, P = 0.14).

Conclusions: Fetal loss is significantly associated with discrepancy in CRL at the 11-14-week scan in monochorionic twins and discordance in birth weights is significantly associated with discrepancy in CRL in dichorionic twins. However, intertwin CRL discrepancy is of limited value in screening for these adverse events.