Keihani Doust Zarintaj, Shariat Mamak, Rahimian Elham, Tehrani Fatemeh, Saddighi Gholamreza
Pediatric Neurologist, Department of pediatric neurology, Imam Khomeini Medical Complex, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Bagher Khan Ave, Tehran, Iran.
Maternal & Child Health Specialist, Maternal Fetal Neonatal Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Vali-Asr, Hospital, Bagher Khan Ave, Tehran, Iran.
Iran J Child Neurol. 2015 Summer;9(3):9-12.
Anthropometry (measurement of body dimensions) has been used for clinical diagnosis of growth and developmental disorders during pregnancy and after birth. Different brain volumes have also been shown in abnormal developmental disorders. This study compares the different horizontal diameters of the left- and right-hand thumbnails and asymmetry of lateral cerebral ventricles in children with developmental delays.
MATERIALS & METHODS: This retrospective case control study was carried out in the Pediatric Neurologic Outpatient of a university hospital in Tehran, Iran (2009-2011). Twenty-eight patients with motor developmental disorders (case) and 28 healthy individuals (control) had brain MRIs and volume of lateral cerebral ventricles size had been studied. The maximum horizontal diameters of the left and right thumbnails were measured by calipers during physical and neurological exams by a pediatric neurologist. Finally, we compared and analyzed different horizontal diameters of the left and right hand thumbnails and asymmetry of lateral cerebral ventricles.
There was a significant correlation between asymmetry of brain lateral ventricles size and mean difference of horizontal diameter of thumb nails (P = 0.0001). A meaningful relation between brain hemispheres asymmetry and developmental delay (P = 0.04) was seen.
The asymmetry of thumbnails can be a marker for asymmetry of lateral ventricles and child developmental delays.
人体测量学（身体尺寸测量）已被用于孕期及出生后生长发育障碍的临床诊断。在发育异常疾病中也发现了不同的脑容量。本研究比较发育迟缓儿童左右手指甲的不同水平直径以及侧脑室的不对称性。
这项回顾性病例对照研究在伊朗德黑兰一家大学医院的儿科神经门诊进行（2009 - 2011年）。对28例运动发育障碍患者（病例组）和28名健康个体（对照组）进行了脑部MRI检查，并研究了侧脑室的体积大小。在儿科神经科医生进行体格检查和神经检查时，用卡尺测量左右手指甲的最大水平直径。最后，我们比较并分析了左右手指甲的不同水平直径以及侧脑室的不对称性。
脑侧脑室大小的不对称性与指甲水平直径的平均差异之间存在显著相关性（P = 0.0001）。观察到脑半球不对称性与发育迟缓之间存在有意义的关系（P = 0.04）。
指甲的不对称性可作为侧脑室不对称性和儿童发育迟缓的一个标志。
