Measurement of the fetal thymus size in screening for diabetes during pregnancy

• Eketerina V. Loginova
• Ayarpi O. Torosyan
• Celebi G. Gagaev

Abstract

Aim. Assessment of the fetal thymus size in diabetic pregnancies compared with normal pregnancies.

Material and methods. The size of the fetal thymus was prospectively evaluated twice: at gestational age of 19-22 and 30-32 weeks. Fetal thymus size was assessed in 80 pregnancies. They included 40 diabetic pregnancies (investigation group) and 40 non-diabetic (control group) pregnancies. Fetal thymus size has been assessed through the measurement of thymic-thoracic ratio.

Results. Thymic-thoracic ratio was significantly smaller in fetuses of diabetic mothers compared to the nondiabetic group (p<0.001). The chances of developing complications in pregnancies with reduced TT-ratio were 6 fold higher than in pregnancies with normal TT-ratio values (95% CI 2.20-16.31). V-Kramer=0.408, p<0.001.

Conclusion. Based on the fact that the size of the fetal thymus in pregnant women with diabetes was smaller than in the control group, the thymo-thoracic ratio can be used as a predictor of diabetes and other related complications during pregnancy.

Keywords:diabetes mellitus, gestational diabetes, risk factors, prenatal diagnosis, fetal thymus gland

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