Traduction anglaise de l'article Arch Pediatr. 2004 Jun;11(6):515-7 Référence pubmed : 15158815A systematic analysis was made of the autopsies of 74 newborns and fetuses (49 pathological cases and 25 controls) to detect defects in lung growth. In each case lung/body (L/B) weight ratio was calculated, and radial alveolar (RA) count and histological assessment were performed. The L/B ratio is of diagnostic value when lower than 0.012 but not when there is intercurrent disease. RA count is low in lung hypoplasia but is not an entirely reliable diagnostic criterion since it change throughout pregnancy and the earlier the gestational age the wider the range of variation. Histological assessment showed an abnormally high number of bronchi and bronchi in distal location with in some cases delayed differentiation of distal airways. If any one of the above three critera fails to determine lung hypoplasia the other two can be used to arrive at diagnosis
