Why do boys have wider lateral ventricles?

There are many problems with the lateral ventricles, among which wide lateral ventricles are the most common. Generally, when this happens, we should pay special attention to it and go to the hospital for examination in time. After confirming that the lateral ventricles are wide, we should receive timely treatment to prevent more serious consequences and side effects. Because it may be a precursor to certain diseases, we should pay special attention to it. The incidence rate in boys is particularly high, so why do boys have wide lateral ventricles?

  Ventriculomegaly is not necessarily a boy.

Ventriculomegaly is caused by excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricular system, causing the ventricular system to expand. During prenatal ultrasound examination, if the width of the fetal lateral ventricle is greater than 10mm, it is called ventriculomegaly. Studies have shown that approximately 0.5 to 1.5 fetuses per 1,000 pregnancies will experience ventriculomegaly, with more boys than girls. However, this does not mean that a fetus with enlarged lateral ventricles will definitely be a boy, it just means that the possibility of being a boy is greater.

Ventriculomegaly refers to the presence of a lateral ventricle greater than 10 mm wide during prenatal ultrasound examination.

The width of the lateral ventricle is an important indicator for predicting fetal nervous system function and is a routine item in prenatal systematic ultrasound examination. During 16-38 weeks of pregnancy, the normal width of the lateral ventricle is generally 7.6mm±0.6mm. When the width of the body of the fetal lateral ventricle reaches 10-15mm, it is called mild ventriculomegaly (MVM), with an incidence of about 1% in the middle and late pregnancy. If the fetus has mild ventriculomegaly without any other structural abnormalities, it is called isolated mild ventriculomegaly (IMVM). If the width of the lateral ventricle exceeds 15 mm, it is fetal hydrocephalus.

Generally speaking, about 60% of cases have unilateral mild ventriculomegaly, and about 40% of cases have bilateral mild ventriculomegaly.

    Causes of ventriculomegaly

1. Abnormalities in the fetal central nervous system: This may be caused by abnormal development of the fetal brain midline structure or local space occupying;

2. Abnormalities of other systemic diseases: An intracranial manifestation of abnormalities of other systemic diseases. The causative factors are chromosomal abnormalities, viral infections (such as cytomegalovirus infection, toxoplasmosis infection and syphilis infection), etc.

  What to do if the lateral ventricle is enlarged

1. Conduct relevant inspections

When ultrasound shows that the fetal lateral ventricle is widened, pregnant women should not panic or terminate the pregnancy blindly. Instead, they should go to the prenatal diagnosis department, listen to the advice of specialists, and undergo relevant examinations to make a clear diagnosis and find out the cause of the disease.

Pregnant women generally need to undergo chromosome karyotype analysis, because chromosome abnormalities can cause fetal lateral ventricle enlargement; fetal intrauterine infection can also cause fetal lateral ventricle enlargement, and TORCH virus screening is recommended; in addition, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) examination is also required to help rule out central nervous system diseases.

2. Follow-up visits on time

If the examination shows that the fetus only has enlarged lateral ventricles, without other structural malformations or abnormalities such as genetic markers, it will be slowly absorbed as the fetus develops, so the pregnant woman only needs to go for follow-up visits on time. Pregnant women should have an ultrasound check every 3-4 weeks until the fetus is born. A brain MRI can be performed after 26 weeks to rule out other structural abnormalities in the brain. After birth, regular follow-up visits can be made to the pediatric clinic to assess the growth and intellectual development of newborns and infants.