Ultrasonographic evaluation of the fetal thymic-thoracic ratio and its association with conotruncal heart defects.

Objective: To evaluate the thymic-thoracic ratio (TT ratio) on fetal ultrasound and its association with conotruncal heart defects.

Methods: A case control study was carried out to retrospectively assess the TT ratio on fetal echocardiograms performed between 19 and 39 weeks of gestation, showing congenital heart defects, from January to December 2018. The control group was comprised of fetuses with no echocardiogram evidence of congenital cardiac malformations.

Muscle mass and cellular membrane integrity assessment in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Objective: To evaluate the association between muscle mass depletion and compromising of the cell membrane integrity and clinical-anthropometric characteristics in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Methods: This observational study evaluated waist circumference, body mass index, and waist-to-height ratio in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Skeletal mass index corrected by weight and impairment of cell membrane integrity were assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis.

Accuracy of the mid-trimester ultrasound scan in the detection of fetal congenital anomalies in a reference center in Northeastern Brazil.

Objective: To assess the performance of a basic mid-trimester fetal ultrasound scan protocol for the diagnosis of congenital anomalies by calculating its accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity.

Methods: This longitudinal cohort study involved singleton pregnant women recruited at the mid-trimester fetal ultrasound scan through the postnatal evaluation of congenital anomalies. Pregnant women who underwent a routine mid-trimester ultrasound scan for fetal abnormalities at 20-24 weeks of gestation were enrolled in this study.