Purpose:
To observe whether there is a correlation between the ocularvolume growth in utero and the gestational age, using an innovativeultrasonographic method to measure the ocular volume of fetuses’eyes. These measurements can be useful for early diagnosis ofprimary congenital glaucoma.
Methods:
The study group comprised 24 fetuses' eye of 12 pregnant women.Fetuses’ eye measurements were obtained by a single observerduring routine ultrasonographic examination. Two different techniqueswere performed to measure the ocular volume: manual and automatic(or sphere).
Results:
The mean (SD) gestational age was 27.5 (±5.8) weeks,ranging from 18 to 40 weeks. Mean (SD) sphere volume was 1394.8(±724.6) mm³ and the mean (SD) manual volume was1301.6 (±716.3) mm³. The correlation between manualvolume and gestational age was r = 0.95 (p<0.001) and thecorrelation between sphere volume and gestational age was r= 0.96 (p<0.001).The difference between sphere and manualvolume was 93.1 mm³. The 95% limits of agreement of sphereand manual volume were -110 to 296 mm³.
Conclusions:
The study showed a strong correlation between gestationalage and ocular volume in normal fetuses. These measurementsmay be used to help early primary congenital glaucoma diagnosis.
Keywords: clinical research methodology