Normative linear and volumetric biometric measurements of fetal brain development in magnetic resonance imaging

Abstract

Purpose: To provide normative two-dimensional and three-dimensional measurements of brain development in normal fetuses during the second and third trimester by a new semi-automated method.

Methods: In this retrospective study, we included 98 normal fetuses at our institution between 21 and 38 weeks of gestation. Two-dimensional measurements of the brain were including biparietal diameter, occipitofrontal diameter, head circumference, transverse cerebellar diameter, and atrial diameter. Volumetric parameters were obtained by using ITK-SNAP software, including left and right cerebral hemispheres, lateral ventricle, the cerebellum, and extracerebral cerebrospinal fluid.

Results: All linear and volume measurements were positively correlated with gestational age except for cerebrospinal fluid. Each anatomical region of the fetal brain showed a different relative growth rate. There was some volume asymmetry between the left and right lateral ventricles, and the left side was larger. The inter-observer and intra-observer agreement was excellent for all measures.

Conclusion: We established the 5th, 50th, and 95th percentile values of fetal brain volume measurements in magnetic resonance, and this may be helpful to understand the damage of fetal brain development.

Keywords: 3D reconstruction; Brain development; Fetus; Magnetic resonance imaging.