Biomedical Research

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate growth patterns in trachea, main bronchuses, lober bronchuses and thoracic cavity (TC) during the fetal period.

Method: This study was performed in Anatomy Department of Meram Faculty of Medicine Necmettin Erbakan University, and Dr. Faruk Sükan Maternity Hospital (Konya, Turkey). Thirty spontaneously aborted fetuses (18 males, 12 females) no malformations and variations were evaluated. The dimensions of the tracheobronchial tree (TBT) and TC were measured and the relationship between the data was statistically assessed with student’s t-test.

Results: Means and standard deviations of the parameters according to gender and trimesters have been calculated. There was significant relation in all parameters between gestational age (P<0.05). Right-left distance (TCtr) and superior-inferior distance (TCvr) was significantly higher in males to females. TCtr and TCvr changed with trimester.

Conclusion: Detailed information of TBT and TC related to the fetal period will reveal of biological variations of TBT and TC parameters to be used in future studies. We hope that data acquired in this study will facilitate other studies on TBT and TC anomalies, pathologies and variations as well as diagnoses and treatments of such as obstetrics, forensic medicine and fetal pathology.

Author(s): Isik Tuncer
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