Ultrasound measurement of the fetal cerebral ventricles: a prospective, consecutive study.

Real-time ultrasound was used in 654 consecutive pregnancies to obtain standard growth parameters for the fetal brain. Measurement of the width of the lateral ventricle (LVW) and hemisphere and their relationships to menstrual age, biparietal diameter, and birth weight were determined. The growth of the LVW was to a great extent independent of birth weight but dependent on menstrual age. Thirteen fetuses with a single ventricular width measurements exceeding +2 SD from the mean were separately evaluated, and all but one case were found to be normal.