16 July 2013 : Original article
Tracheo-bronchial angles in the human fetus – an anatomical, digital, and statistical study
Marcin DaroszewskiABC, Michał SzpindaACDEFG, Piotr FlisińskiBD, Anna SzpindaEF, Alina WoźniakDF, Adam KosińskiDF, Marek GrzybiakD, Celestyna Mila-KierzenkowskaDFDOI: 10.12659/MSMBR.889085
Med Sci Monit Basic Res 2013; 19:194-200
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Both the advancement of visual techniques and intensive progress in perinatal medicine result in performing airway management in the fetus and neonate affected by life-threatening malformations. This study aimed to examine the 3 tracheo-bronchial angles, including the right and left bronchial angles, and the interbronchial angle, in the fetus at various gestational ages.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: Using methods of anatomical dissection, digital image analysis with an adequate program (NIS-Elements BR 3.0, Nikon), and statistics, values of the two bronchial angles and their sum as the interbronchial angle were semi-automatically measured in 73 human fetuses at the age of 14–25 weeks, derived from spontaneous abortions and stillbirths.
RESULTS: No male-female differences between the parameters studied were found. The 3 fetal tracheo-bronchial angles were found to be independent of age. The right bronchial angle ranged from 11.4° to 41.8°, and averaged 26.9±7.0° for the whole analyzed sample. The values of left bronchial angle varied from 24.8° to 64.8°, with the overall mean of 46.2±8.0°. As a consequence, the interbronchial angle totalled 36.2–96.6°, and averaged 73.1±12.7°.
CONCLUSIONS: The tracheo-bronchial angles change independently of sex and fetal age. The left bronchial angle is wider than the right one. Values of the 3 tracheo-bronchial angles are unpredictable since their regression curves of best fit with relation to fetal age cannot be modelled. Both of the 2 bronchial angles and the interbronchial angle are of great relevance in the location of inhaled foreign bodies, and in the diagnosis cardiac diseases and mediastinal abnormalities.
Keywords: Imaging, Three-Dimensional - methods, Gestational Age, Fetus - anatomy & histology, Bronchi - anatomy & histology, Statistics as Topic, Trachea - anatomy & histology
Most Viewed Current Articles
15 Jun 2022 : Clinical Research
Evaluation of Apical Leakage After Root Canal Obturation with Glass Ionomer, Resin, and Zinc Oxide Eugenol ...DOI :10.12659/MSMBR.936675
Med Sci Monit Basic Res 2022; 28:e936675
07 Jul 2022 : Laboratory Research
Cytotoxicity, Apoptosis, Migration Inhibition, and Autophagy-Induced by Crude Ricin from Ricinus communis S...DOI :10.12659/MSMBR.936683
Med Sci Monit Basic Res 2022; 28:e936683
01 Jun 2022 : Laboratory Research
Comparison of Sealing Abilities Among Zinc Oxide Eugenol Root-Canal Filling Cement, Antibacterial Biocerami...DOI :10.12659/MSMBR.936319
Med Sci Monit Basic Res 2022; 28:e936319
08 Dec 2022 : Original article
Use of Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate and Urine Albumin-to-Creatinine Ratio Based on KDIGO 2012 Guide...DOI :10.12659/MSMBR.938176
Med Sci Monit Basic Res 2022; 28:e938176