Anencéfalos: análise morfológica da vagina em fetos humanos com distúrbios do tubo neural

Abstract

The study on the morphology of the vagina in fetuses is still incipient. Its correlation between normal fetuses and fetuses with neural tube anomalies is poorly known. The objective of this study was morphologically evaluate the vagina of human fetuses with neural tube disorders and compare these changes with fetuses without apparent abnormalities. A total of 34 female fetuses (22 normal and 12 anencephalic) were studied, aged between 12 and 22 weeks post-conception. The fetuses were initially placed in the classic lithotomy position and before the fetal dissection the external genitalia was photographed by a digital camera. Then, with the aid of a microscope, the fetuses were submitted to pelvic dissection and individualization of the structures of the urinary tract (vagina). The biometric parameters length and width of the vagina were recorded and measurements were performed using Image J software, version 1.46r. For statistical analysis, simple linear regression was performed (software Graphpad Prism) from the average of the values found in each of the analyzed parameters. The p value ≤ 0.05 will be considered statistically significant. We do not identify statistical significance in the correlation between groups for the measurements of vaginal length (Control: 3.12-18.33mm/ mean=9.08mm/SD+-3.77 vs. Anencephalic: 2.91-13.10mm/mean=7.24mm/ SD+-2.28, p=0.3469) and vaginal width (Control: 1.04-4.86mm/mean= 2.71mm/SD+-0.94 vs. Anencephalic: 1.35-3.17mm/mean=2.13mm/SD+-0.65, p=0.2503). The linear regression analysis indicated a significant correlation between all analyzed correlations, being 78.57% for normal fetuses and 42.85% for anencephalic fetuses (12.3 to 18.6 WPC). We do not found differences in the length and width of the vagina in anencephalic fetuses, but the vaginal length and width shows a lesser tendency to growth in the anencephalic fetuses during the second trimester suggesting that anencephaly can impact the development of the vagina.