Sulak Osman, Ozgüner Gülnur, Malas Mehmet Ali
Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta, 32260, Turkey.
Surg Radiol Anat. 2011 Jul;33(5):381-8. doi: 10.1007/s00276-010-0749-7. Epub 2010 Nov 26.
The aim of this study was to determine the morphometric development and location of the kidneys during the fetal period.
Three hundred and forty-four fetal kidneys, obtained from 172 human fetuses and aged between 9 and 40 weeks, were used in this study. Fetuses were divided into four groups according to the gestational weeks: first trimester, second trimester, third trimester, and full-term gestation. First, the anterior abdominal wall was dissected. Topographic localization of the kidneys in the abdominal cavity was then assessed. The distance between the inferior pole of the kidney and iliac crest was measured. The vertebral levels of the superior and the inferior poles and relations to ribs of the kidneys were determined. The distances between hilum of the kidneys and inferior vena cava, abdominal aorta, and midline of the vertebral column were determined. The dimensions (width, length, and thickness), weight, and volume of kidneys were measured.
The results showed that the distance between the inferior poles of the kidneys and the iliac crest increases with gestational age. The vertebral levels of the superior and inferior poles of the kidneys increased during the fetal period. The level of the left kidney was higher than the level of the right kidney in the fetal period. The posterior surface relations to the ribs showed certain ascendance during gestation, corresponding to vertebral levels. However, fetal kidneys do not reach the same level as adults at full term. The kidneys move farther apart from the midline of the body during the fetal period. The dimensions, weight, and volume of the kidneys increased with gestational age during the fetal period. The ratio between kidney weights and fetal body weights were determined, and we observed that the ratio decreased during the fetal period. There were no sex or laterality differences in any parameter.
The morphometric parameters and the location of the fetal kidneys were determined by the present study. This will also contribute to imaging of fetal kidneys and detection of kidney abnormalities in the intrauterine period. We hope that the present results can provide some useful findings for radiological (ultrasound and MR) studies.
本研究旨在确定胎儿期肾脏的形态计量学发育及位置。
本研究使用了从172例人类胎儿获取的344个胎儿肾脏，胎龄在9至40周之间。根据孕周将胎儿分为四组：孕早期、孕中期、孕晚期和足月妊娠。首先，解剖前腹壁。然后评估肾脏在腹腔内的地形定位。测量肾脏下极与髂嵴之间的距离。确定肾脏上极和下极的椎体水平以及与肋骨的关系。确定肾脏肾门与下腔静脉、腹主动脉和脊柱中线之间的距离。测量肾脏的尺寸（宽度、长度和厚度）、重量和体积。
结果显示，肾脏下极与髂嵴之间的距离随孕周增加。胎儿期肾脏上极和下极的椎体水平升高。胎儿期左肾的水平高于右肾。与肋骨的后表面关系在妊娠期间呈现一定的上升趋势，与椎体水平相对应。然而，足月时胎儿肾脏未达到成人的相同水平。胎儿期肾脏与身体中线的距离更远。胎儿期肾脏的尺寸、重量和体积随孕周增加。确定了肾脏重量与胎儿体重的比值，我们观察到该比值在胎儿期下降。任何参数均无性别或左右侧差异。
本研究确定了胎儿肾脏的形态计量学参数和位置。这也将有助于胎儿肾脏的成像以及宫内期肾脏异常的检测。我们希望本研究结果能为放射学（超声和磁共振）研究提供一些有用的发现。
