Axial growth of the fetal eye and evaluation of the hyaloid artery: in utero ultrasonographic study

• Published in: Prenatal diagnosis Vol. 20; no. 11; pp. 894 - 899
• Main Authors: Achiron, Reuwen, Kreiser, Doron, Achiron, Anat
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.11.2000; Wiley
• Subjects: Adult; Anterior Chamber - diagnostic imaging; Anterior Chamber - embryology; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Flow Velocity; Cross-Sectional Studies; Embryonic and Fetal Development; eye; Eye - blood supply; Eye - diagnostic imaging; Eye - embryology; Female; Fetal Organ Maturity; fetus; Gestational Age; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Lens, Crystalline - blood supply; Lens, Crystalline - diagnostic imaging; ligaloid artery; Management. Prenatal diagnosis; Medical sciences; Ophthalmic Artery - diagnostic imaging; Ophthalmic Artery - embryology; Pregnancy; Pregnancy. Fetus. Placenta; Prospective Studies; Reference Values; Tropical medicine; Ultrasonography, Prenatal; ultrasound; Vitreous Body - blood supply; Vitreous Body - diagnostic imaging; Asia; Israel; Sonography; Human; Eye; Fetal development; Transvaginal route; Echography; Hyaloid artery; Evolution; Fetus; Blood flow
• ISSN: 0197-3851; 1097-0223
• DOI: 10.1002/1097-0223(200011)20:11<894::AID-PD949>3.0.CO;2-J

The aims of this prospective, cross‐sectional study were to report axial ocular growth during human gestation, to determine the presence of the hyaloid artery (HA) and its blood flow, and to provide a timetable for HA regression. The study group comprised 231 low‐risk singleton pregnancies between 14 and 38 weeks' gestation. Ocular axial length (OAL), anterior chamber depth (ACD) and posterior chamber depth (PCD) were measured using high‐resolution ultrasound. The growth of these eye segments in correlation with gestational age (GA) was established. The presence of the HA and its regression were determined. By using power Doppler, ultrasound blood flow within the HA was estimated. HA regression is a gradual process that is not evident before 18 weeks' gestation. In all fetuses beyond 29 weeks' gestation, no HA could be detected (P<0.001). Blood flow within the HA was documented only until the 16th week of gestation. The correlation coefficients, r=0.924, 0.784 and 0.929, for OAL, ACD and PCD, respectively, were found to be highly statistically significant (P<0.0001). The present data offer normative measurements of the fetal axial eye lengths, timetable for HA regression and flow cessation. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.