Abstract:

Aim: To investigate the fetal thymic-thoracic ratio in pregnancies complicated with inflammatory bowel disease(IBD). Materials and Method: This case-control study included 26 pregnant women diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and Crohn’s Disease (CD) and 26 healthy pregnant women at 28-40 gestational weeks. The control group was selected from uncomplicated pregnancies matched by gestational age. Demographic characteristics, disease type, and disease activity were assessed after ultrasonographic evaluation. The thymic-thoracic ratio (TTR) was calculated by dividing the anteroposterior thymus measurement by the intrathoracic mediastinal diameter. Results: TTR measurements were 0.32±0.02 in the case group and 0.35±0.02 in the control group (p <.001). 34.6% (n=9) of the patients in the case group had an attack at least once during pregnancy. There were no significant differences in the median TTR values between UC and CD groups. TTR was significantly decreased in the group who had an attack at least once during pregnancy compared to those who did not (0,31 vs. 0,34, respectively, p=.012). Conclusion: This is the first study to assess the impact of IBD on fetal TTR. Maternal acute and chronic inflammation in pregnancies with IBD may affect the fetal thymus size due to the intrauterine milieu. Considering that exacerbation during pregnancy also affects fetal thymus size, it is crucial to keep these patients in remission throughout the disease and follow up closely.

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