Oscar ATOBE, Michiya NATORI, Toyohiko MIYAZAKI, Danilo GABIONZA, Toshifumi KOBAYASHI, Shiro NOZAWA

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Keio University School of Medicine

キーワード : Fetus, Lateral ventricular atrial width, Ultrasound, Ventriculomegaly

Because of the great variation in reports on use of lateral ventricular width/hemispheric width ratio (LVW/HW or LVR) for diagnosing fetal ventriculomegaly, we attempted to devise an easier and more reliable way to measure lateral ventricular atrial width (LVAW) directly. Three hundred sixty-eight fetuses ranging from 15 to 38 weeks of gestation were included in this study. Lateral ventricular width increased slightly as pregnancy advanced. Antenatal diagnosis of ventriculomegaly based on this method was observed in 9 cases that were confirmed postnatally. Lateral ventricular width/hemispheric width (LVW/HW) failed to identify 4 cases. Direct measurement of the lateral ventricular atrium thus appeared to be a more effective method for diagnosing this disorder.