Morphological features of subcutaneous tissue of the antebrachial region in human fetus

Aim - to clarify the morphological features of the structure and topography of adipose tissue in the forearm region of human fetuses at 5-8 months of gestation in order to clarify normal developmental parameters and identify possible variants or abnormalities. Material and methods. A microscopic study was performed on the material of the antebrachial region of 21 human fetuses measuring 136.0-310.0 mm parietal-coccygeal length (PCL), with subsequent statistical data processing. Results. In the studied 5-month-old human fetuses, no objects that could be identified as adipocytes were found in the upper, middle, and lower thirds of the antebrachial region. The absence of fatty formations was also observed at the level of the lower third of the forearm in 6-month-old fetuses. In the upper third of the antebrachial region of 6-month-old fetuses, the percentage of multilocular adipocytes is 91.8±0.87%, at the level of the middle third - 72.3±0.85%. In 7-month-old fetuses, multilocular adipocytes in the upper third of the antebrachial region account for 47.8±0.84%, in the middle third - 49.0±0.83%, and in the lower third of the antebrachial region - 61.9±0.86%. In the upper third of the antebrachial region of 8-month-old fetuses, multilocular adipocytes are 39.0±0.85%, in the middle third - 24.4±0.84%, and in the lower third of the antebrachial region - 34.6±0.84%. Conclusions. The adipose tissue of the forearm area is represented by uni- and multilocular cells. In 6-month-old fetuses at the level of the upper and middle thirds of the antebrachial region, as well as in 7-month-old fetuses at the level of the lower third of the antebrachial region, multilocular cells quantitatively prevailed, at the level of the upper and middle thirds of the antebrachial region of 7-month-old fetuses and in all thirds of the antebrachial region of 8-month-old fetuses - unilocular cells. The largest number of adipocytes was found in 8-month-old fetuses. Between 6 and 7 months of gestation, a leap in the development of adipose tissue is noted. The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The study protocol was approved by the Local Ethics Committee for all participants. The authors declare no conflict of interest.