Determination of mean fetal transcerebellar diameter as a predictive biometric parameter in third trimester of pregnancy in correlation with fetal gestational age

Objective: To determine mean transcerebellar diameter [TCD] in third trimester of pregnancy on ultrasound as a predictive biometric parameter of gestational age

Study Design: Cross-sectional study

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Radiology Combined Military Hospital, Lahore, from Feb to Aug 2013

Material and Methods: A total of 100 pregnant women in their third trimester were included in this study. TCD was measured on ultrasound, by identifying the cerebellum in the posterior cranial fossa and measuring it in from outer edge to outer edge

Results: Mean age of the patients was 26.80 +/- 2.71 years. Mean gestational age was 33.18+/- 2.42 weeks. In present study mean TCD was 36.47 +/- 4.30 cm. After applying ANOVA test on parity, gestational age and maternal age it revealed that gestational age and TCD [mm] had significant relation [p<0.001]

Conclusion: In the normally developing fetus, the TCD increases in a linear fashion with advancing gestational age. The data of this study suggest fetal TCD on ultrasound is a reliable predictive biometric parameter of gestational age

Accuracy of straight leg raise test in patients with lumbar disc herniation keeping magnetic resonance imaging as a reference standard

Objective: To determine the accuracy of straight leg raise [SLR] test in patients with lumbar disc herniation keeping magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] as a reference

Study Design: Validation study

Place and Duration of Study: Radiology department of Combined Military Hospital [CMH], Quetta, over a period of 16 months from 1st Dec 2012 to 31st May 2013

Material and Methods: Total 225 cases with lower back pain were included through non probability-consecutive sampling. Informed consent was taken. The patients were assessed for positive or negative SLR test. Then all patients underwent MRI of lumbosacral spine. Data was collected through a specially structured proforma. Data was analyzed by SPSS version 10

Results: SLR test was found to be positive in 114 [50.7%] cases while negative in 111 [49.3%] cases. Lumbar disc herniation on MRI was found to be positive in 122 [54.2%] cases while negative in 103 [45.8%] cases. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of SLR test were found to be 82.8%, 87.4%, 88.6% and 81.1% respectively. Accuracy of SLR test was found to be 84.9%

Conclusion: We concluded that SLR test is accurate enough to diagnose disc herniation with reference to MRI. Now we can advise SLR test for assessment of disc herniation where MRI is not available or unaffordable for the patients