Sonographic assessment of uterine and ovarian development in normal girls aged 1 to 12 years

Abstract

Purpose. To provide normal references of sonographic uterine and ovarian size in girls aged 1–12 years. Method. Ninety-nine girls were enrolled in the study (mean age ± SD, 6.9 ± 2.4 years [range, 1–12 years]). Pubertal status was classified according to Tanner staging, whereas for height and weight assessment a standard stadiometer and weight scale were employed. All subjects underwent pelvic sonographic examination for the measurement of uterine length, volume, ratio of anteroposterior diameter at the fundus divided by the anteroposterior diameter at the cervix (fundal–cervical [F/C] ratio), and ovarian volume and morphology. Results. A gradual increase with age was observed in all uterine and ovarian measurements. Cubic model analysis provided the best curve estimation for uterine length, uterine volume, and ovarian volume in relation to age. Uterine length, uterine volume, ovarian volume and F/C ratio were significantly correlated to both age and height. With respect to ovarian morphology, there was a gradual decrease in frequency of the homogeneous and the paucicystic appearances with increasing age. The macrocystic appearance was observed after the age of 6 years, and its frequency increased gradually with age. Conclusion. There is a continuous increase in size of internal female genitalia from early childhood until the onset of puberty. We have provided reference percentile charts of normal uterine length, uterine volume, and ovarian volume in girls aged 1–12 years. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound, 2008