• Tatiana Emy Nishimoto Kawanami Hamamoto, Alan Roberto Hatanaka, Marcelo Santucci França, Stéphanno Gomes Pereira Sarmento, Talita Micheletti Helfer, NomuraRoseli Mieko YamamotoRMY0000-0002-6471-2125Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Department of Obstetrics - São Paulo (SP), Brazil., Edward Araujo Júnior, and Antonio Fernandes Moron.
• Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Department of Obstetrics - São Paulo (SP), Brazil.
• Rev Assoc Med Bras (1992). 2023 Jan 1; 69 (5): e20221678e20221678.

ObjectiveFetal thymus involvement in prematurity has been studied, and this study aimed to evaluate its relationship with short cervix and amniotic fluid sludge in the second trimester of pregnancy.MethodsIn this prospective cross-sectional study, 79 pregnant women (19+0 to 24+6 weeks) were included, and cervical length and the presence or absence of amniotic fluid sludge were evaluated. In the three-vessel view of the fetal thorax, the thymus was identified, and its perimeter and transverse diameter were measured and transformed to a zeta score based on gestational age.ResultsData from 22 women with short cervix (<25 mm) and 57 patients with normal cervix (≥25 mm) were analyzed. The transverse diameter of the fetal thymus was significantly greater in the short cervix group compared to that of the normal cervix group (z-score 2.708 vs. -0.043, p=0.003). There were no significant differences in the perimeter (z-score -0.039 vs. -0.071, p=0.890) or the transverse diameter (z-score 1.297 vs. -0.004, p=0.091) of the fetal thymus associated with the presence (n=21) or absence of sludge (n=58).ConclusionA short cervix is associated with an increased transverse diameter of the fetal thymus during the second trimester of gestation.

12 keywords...

hide…