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Ultrasonographic Spleen Dimensions in Preterm Infants During the First 3 Months of Life

First Department of Radiology (S.M.) and Department of Neonatology and Neonatal Intensive Care (M.K.), Venizelio General Hospital, Heraklion, Crete, Greece; and Biostatistics Laboratory, School of Health Sciences, University of Crete, Voutes, Crete, Greece (A.A.).

Address correspondence to Stylianos Megremis, MD, PhD, 23 Arsinois St, 71303 Heraklion, Crete, Greece. E-mail: efstel{at}med.uoc.gr

Objective. The purpose of this study was to ultrasonographically evaluate spleen dimensions in healthy prematurely born neonates and infants during the first 3 months of life. Methods. Ninety-six neonates and infants aged from 2 to 90 days, with gestational ages from 25 to 35 weeks, were prospectively examined between 2001 and 2003. None had either infectious or other serious diseases or congenital disorders. The relationships between the ultrasonographically measured spleen size parameters and postmenstrual age, sex, gestational age, and somatometric parameters (height, weight, and body surface area) were studied with linear regression models with backward selection. Spleen dimension growth curves and upper/lower limits defined by the upper/lower 95% confidence interval were presented in graphs by height, weight, and body surface area. In addition, spleen length was compared with recently published data on term peers. Results. All spleen dimensions were positively correlated with postmenstrual age and somatometric parameters. Sex did not influence the variability of spleen dimensions. Spleen length had lower values and a smaller rate of growth in preterm than term neonates and infants. Conclusions. We have provided ultrasonographic spleen volumetric values in preterm neonates and infants during the first 3 months of life, giving reference standards applicable for clinical practice or research purposes.

Key Words: infant • neonate • normal values • preterm • size • spleen • ultrasonography

Abbreviations: BSA, body surface area