Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T18:00:36.579Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Morphometric study of the great arterial trunks and their branches in the human fetal heart with perimembranous ventricular septal defects

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 August 2008

Luis Alvarez*
Affiliation:
From the Department of Morphological Sciences, Basic Cardiovascular Research Section, School of Medicine, University of Granada, E-18012 Granada, Spain.
Antonia Aránega
Affiliation:
From the Department of Morphological Sciences, Basic Cardiovascular Research Section, School of Medicine, University of Granada, E-18012 Granada, Spain.
Celia Vélez
Affiliation:
From the Department of Morphological Sciences, Basic Cardiovascular Research Section, School of Medicine, University of Granada, E-18012 Granada, Spain.
Consolación Melguizo
Affiliation:
From the Department of Morphological Sciences, Basic Cardiovascular Research Section, School of Medicine, University of Granada, E-18012 Granada, Spain.
Amanda R. González
Affiliation:
From the Department of Morphological Sciences, Basic Cardiovascular Research Section, School of Medicine, University of Granada, E-18012 Granada, Spain.
Robert Saucedo
Affiliation:
Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Granada, E-18012 Granada, Spain.
*
Prof. Luis Alvarez, Departamento de Ciencias Morfológicas, Sección de Investigación Básica Cardiovascular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Granada, Avda. De Madrid 11, E-18071 Granada, Spain. Tel. + 34-58-243534; Fax. +34-58-243535

Abstract

Morphometric methods were used to study the great arterial trunks in a total of 22 human fetuses and newborn subjects weighing from 1 to 3.8 kg (mean 2.22 ± 0.85 kg). All specimens displayed concordant atrioventricular and ventriculoarterial connections, and all had perimembranous ventricular septal defects. Thirteen different parameters were measured in each specimen, comprising the orifices of the great arterial trunks, ascending aorta, vessels branching from the aortic arch, the aortic isthmus, descending aorta, pulmonary trunk, orifices of the pulmonary arteries, and arterial duct. The values were Compared with patterns of normality established in an earlier study using hearts from 496 human fetuses and neonates weighing form 60 to 5000 g. Minimum square regression analyses were used to study the relationships between fetal and neonatal log body weight in kilograms, and the various cardiometric parameters. We believe that these morphometric data have immediate clinical and surgical applications in the treatment of fetal and neonatal cardiovascular disorders.

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1997

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Kleinman, CS, Donnerstein, RL. Ultrasonic assessment of cardiac function in the intact human fetus. J Am Coll Cardiol 1985; 5(1): 84s94sCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2.Alvarez, L, Aránega, A, Saucedo, R, Contreras, JA, López, F, Aránega, AE. Morphometric data concerning the great arterial trunks and their branches. Int J Cardiol 1990; 29:127139CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3.Alvarez, L, Aránega, A, Saucedo, R, López, F, Aránega, AE, Muros, MA. Morphometric data on the arterial duct in the human fetal heart. Int J Cardiol 1991; 31:337344CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4.Krediet, P, Klein, HW. Synopsis of normal cardiac development In: Pexieder, T (ed). Perspectives in Cardiovascular Research Raven Press, New York, 1981, pp 716Google Scholar
5.Van Meurs-Van, Woezik H, Krediet, P. Measurements of the descending aorta in infants and children: comparison with other aortic dimensions J Anat 1982; 135: 273279Google Scholar
6.Angelini, A, Allan, LD, Anderson, R, Crawford, D, Chita, S, Yen Ho, S. Measurements of the dimensions of the aortic and pulmonary pathways in the human fetus: a correlative echocardiographic and morphometric study. Br Heart J 1988; 60:221226CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7.Van Meurs-Van, Woezik H, Debets, T, Klein, HW. Internal diameters of the ventriculo-arterial junctions and great arteries of normal infants and children: a data base for evaluation of congenital cardiac malformations. Int J Cardiol 1989; 23:303308.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8.Van Meurs-Van, Woezik H, Debets, T, Klein, HW. Growth of internal diameters in the pulmonary arterial tree in infants and children. J Anat 1987; 151:107115.Google Scholar
9.Clarkson, PM, Brandt, PWT. Aortic diameters in infants and young children: Normative angiographic data. Pediatr Cardiol 1985; 6:36CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10.Sievers, HH, Onnaseh, DGW, Lange, PE, Bernhard, A, Heintzen, PH. Dimensions of great arteries, semilunar valve roots, and right ventricular outflow tract during growth: Normative angiocardiographic data. Pediatr Cardiol 1983; 4:189196CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11.Rudolph, AM. Distribution and regulation of blood flow in the fetal and neonatal lamb. Circulation 1985; 57:811821CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12.Rudolph, AM, Heyman, MA, Spizmas, U. Hemodynamic considerations in the development of narrowing of the aorta. Am J Cardiol 1972; 30:514525CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13.Sahn, DJ. Perspectives in fetal echocardiography. Cardiol Young 1994; 4:9098CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14.Hanley, FL. Fetal responses to extracorporeal circulatory support. Cardiol Young 1993; 3:263272CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15.Walther, FJ, Siassi, B, Kin, J, Wu, PYKNormal values of aortic root measurements in neonates Pediatr Cardiol 1985; 6:6164CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed