Quantitative Anatomy of the Growing Lungs in the Human Fetus

Abstract

Using anatomical, digital, and statistical methods we examined the three-dimensional growth of the lungs in 67 human fetuses aged 16–25 weeks. The lung dimensions revealed no sex differences. The transverse and sagittal diameters and the base circumference were greater in the right lungs while the lengths of anterior and posterior margins and the lung height were greater in the left lungs. The best-fit curves for all the lung parameters were natural logarithmic models. The transverse-to-sagittal diameter ratio remained stable and averaged0.56±0.08and0.52±0.08for the right and left lungs, respectively. For the right and left lungs, the transverse diameter-to-height ratio significantly increased from0.74±0.09to0.92±0.08and from0.56±0.07to0.79±0.09, respectively. The sagittal diameter-to-height ratio significantly increased from1.41±0.23to1.66±0.18in the right lung, and from1.27±0.17to1.48±0.22in the left lung. In the fetal lungs, their proportionate increase in transverse and sagittal diameters considerably accelerates with relation to the lung height. The lung dimensions in the fetus are relevant in the evaluation of the normative pulmonary growth and the diagnosis of pulmonary hypoplasia.