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Fetal Age Estimation Using Orbital Measurements: 3D CT‐Scan Study Including the Effects of Trisomy 21
Author(s) -
Pommier Stephan,
Adalian Pascal,
Gaudart Jean,
Panuel Michel,
PiercecchiMarti MarieDominique,
Leonetti Georges
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2008.00929.x
Subject(s) - trisomy , fetus , gestational age , aneuploidy , down syndrome , medicine , anatomy , nuclear medicine , biology , pregnancy , chromosome , genetics , psychiatry , gene
This study evaluates a new method of fetal age estimation based on orbital measurement and including the potential trisomy 21 of the fetus. Six orbital and one facial CT‐scan measurements were taken on 71 fetuses ranging from 14 to 41 weeks of gestational age. Forty‐eight fetuses were “normal” and 23 fetuses presented the Down syndrome (trisomy 21). The anatomy/imagery correspondence was evaluated comparing our results to those obtained by direct bone measurements on the same fetuses and revealed no significant differences between the two kinds of measurements. Moreover, a multiple linear stepwise regression was realized to estimate fetal age and showed that the “trisomy 21 parameter” is not conserved in the final determination model. Therefore, we conclude that the good radio‐anatomical correspondence offers an interesting alternative to direct bone measurement (necessitating dissections) and allows a reliable fetal age determination, whatever is the trisomy 21 condition of the fetus.