ObjectivesThe present study investigated linear, area, and volume measurements of human brain samples according to Carnegie stages (CS) in an attempt to select suitable morphometric features that reflect embryonic development.
MethodsUsing magnetic resonance imaging, we measured seven linear segments, three separate areas, and three regional volumes in 101 samples between CS13 and 23. Brain volume was determined via manual segmentation of the magnetic resonance image, whereby a formula was generated to estimate the volume of each linear measurement.
ResultsAll parameters correlated with crown-rump length. Bitemporal length and mesencephalic height increased linearly according to the CS, and a high correlation between bitemporal length and both whole-brain (r=0.98) and prosencephalon (r=0.99) volumes was found when brain cavity volume was excluded.
ConclusionMorphometric data related to human embryonic stages are valuable for correcting and comparing sonographic data. The present approach may contribute to improvements in prenatal diagnostics by enabling the selection of more suitable measurements during early embryonic stages. (c) 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.