Purpose. To study fetal parotid salivary glands age features.
Materials and methods. Research is done on the material received from 40 fetuses (10–24 weeks of development) during 2012–2013, died in delivery rooms (maternity homes) of Arkhangelsk, delivery room and city hospital № 1 of Severodvinsk. Material distribution according to age: 10 weeks of n = 2, 13 weeks of n = 6, 14 weeks of n = 2, 16 weeks of n = 4, 17 weeks of n = 4, 18 weeks of n = 8, 19 weeks of n = 2, 20 weeks of n = 4, 21 weeks of n = 4, 24th week of n = 4. The fetal death causes were particular conditions in the perinatal period (n = 70 %) and congenital anomalies (n = 30 %) were causes of fetuses death. The autopsy material was gathered within 24 hours after death and was fixed within 24 hours in 10 % solution of neutral formalin. Macro- and microscopic preparation of separation of parotid salivary glands was carried out. The gland mass (mg), volume (cm3), length, width, thickness (mm), the area (mm2) were measured. Various forms of glands in its contour were studied. All stages were photographed by the Nikon D7000 Kit camera.
Results. In the pre-natal period the parotid gland is in a deep hollow behind a branch of the mandible, in retro mandibular fossa. The gland has a gray-yellow color similar in color of hypodermic-fatty cellulose. In this age period gland form nearly corresponds to the walls of a bed and has an irregular form. There are variants of gland form: oval (32 %), triangular (13 %), quadrangular (9,6 %), prismatic (22,8 %), ellipsoid (9,6 %) and pyramidal (9,6 %). The volume of gland is variable. Average organ mass was 184,2 ± 128,31, volume 0,2 ± 0,1, length 11,9 ± 4,22, width 7,6 ± 2,95, thickness 3,3 ± 1,34, area 91,2 ± 45,02.
Conclusions. While studying age dynamics of body measuring values of fetal parotid glands, the dependence of weight, length of glands and head circumference of a fetus (Kruskala-Wallice’s criterion 19,541 (9) 0,021; 20,219 (9) 0,017) from gestational age was revealed. When comparing the body measuring values of the right and left glands statistically significant differences were not revealed (p > 0,05).
The work is submitted to the International Scientific Conference «Topical issues of pediatrics and pediatric surgery», Mauritius, February, 17–24, 2014, came to the editorial office оn 27.01.2014.