Assessment of clitoral anatomy in human fetuses

Purpose To determine fetal clitoral dimensions in antenatal period and to provide a contribution to external genital morphology determination in premature infants. Methods Thirty-one formalin fixed female fetuses aged between 18 and 40 weeks (17 fetuses aged 21.53 ± 1.88 weeks in the second trimester and 14 fetuses aged 31.00 ± 4.90 weeks in the third trimester) were evaluated. 20 (64.5%) fetuses were between 3 and 97% percentile range and within normal limits. Clitoris appearance (completely covered by labium majus/partially showing/prominent), length and width of clitoris, labium minus length, length, and width of labium majus were assessed. Results Clitoris length during the second trimester was 4.84 ± 1.09 mm, whereas it was 5.43 ± 1.07 in the third trimester. Clitoris width was as 3.35 ± 0.88 mm in the second trimester and as 4.55 ± 0.96 mm in the third trimester. A statistically significant increase was seen in width of clitoris, length, and width of labium majus and length of labium minus with gestational age in the second and third trimesters ( p