Fetal pancreas measurements and the impact of gestational diabetes mellitus and fetal growth restriction.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to establish nomograms for fetal pancreatic circumference (PC) and the pancreatic circumference/abdominal circumference (PC/AC) ratio between 18 and 37 weeks of gestation. Additionally, it assessed their value in pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and fetal growth restriction (FGR).

METHOD: A prospective observational study was conducted between 18 and 37 weeks of gestation. Fetal PC measurements and PC/AC ratios from 233 singleton pregnancies with normal follow-up were used to construct growth charts. Additionally, 24 pregnancies with GDM and 17 with FGR were analyzed.

RESULTS

Nomograms for fetal PC and PC/AC ratio were developed. Pearson's correlation coefficients for PC and PC/AC ratio by gestational age were 0.890 and -0.417, respectively (p < 0.0001). In GDM cases, fetal PC and PC/AC ratios were within the 5th-95th centile, with no significant difference from controls (p = 0.880). In FGR cases, 47.1 % of fetuses had PC below the 5th centile, but all PC/AC ratios remained within normal limits.

CONCLUSION

These reference values may aid in fetal pancreatic assessment. PC and PC/AC ratio were not effective for predicting GDM, and FGR did not significantly affect PC/AC ratios.