MORPHOMETRIC STUDY OF THE GREAT ARTERIAL TRUNKS AND THEIR BRANCHES INTHE HUMAN FETAL HEART WITH PERIMEMBRANOUS VENTRICULAR SEPTAL-DEFECTS

Morphometric methods were used to study the great arterial trunks in a total of 22 human fetuses and newborn subjects weighing from 1 to 3.8 kg (mean 2.22 +/- 0.85 kg). All specimens displayed concordant atriov entricular and ventriculoarterial connections, and all had perimembran ous ventricular septal defects. Thirteen different parameters were mea sured in each specimen, comprising the orifices of the great arterial trunks, ascending aorta, vessels branching from the aortic arch, the a ortic isthmus, descending aorta, pulmonary trunk, orifices of the pulm onary arteries, and arterial duct. The values were compared with patte rns of normality established in an earlier study using hearts from 496 human fetuses and neonates weighing form 60 to 5000 g. Minimum square regression analyses were used to study the relationships between feta l and neonatal log body weight in kilograms, and the various cardiomet ric parameters. We believe that these morphometric data have immediate clinical and surgical applications in the treatment of fetal and neon atal cardiovascular disorders.