Definitive diagnosis of intestinal volvulus in utero.
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Midgut volvulus with or without intestinal malrotation can occur in fetal life. Several reports have described congenital midgut volvulus showing non-specific sonographic findings of intestinal obstruction and perforation in utero. None of the previously reported cases, however, were definitively diagnosed as midgut volvulus by fetal sonography. We report two cases both exhibiting the sonographic 'whirlpool' sign, in utero. Color Doppler interrogation provided a clue to the viability of the involved intestinal segment. (+info)
Abnormal ductus venosus blood flow: a clue to umbilical cord complication.
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We report a case of umbilical cord complication causing, fetal hypoxemia and acidemia. At 30 weeks of gestation, the patient was referred because of slightly increased amniotic fluid volume and a non-reactive cardiotocogram. Biometry was appropriate for gestational age. Umbilical artery and fetal aortic Doppler findings were normal, whereas diastolic blood flow velocities in the middle cerebral artery were increased and the ductus venosus showed severely abnormal flow velocity waveforms with reversal of flow during atrial contraction. Since other reasons for fetal hypoxemia could be excluded, careful examination of the umbilical cord was performed. Traction of the hypercoiled umbilical cord due to its course around the fetal neck and shoulders was suspected. Cesarean section confirmed the sonographic findings and fetal blood gases revealed fetal acidemia. This case indicates that investigation of fetal venous blood flow may also help to identify fetal jeopardy due to reasons other than increased placental vascular resistance. (+info)
Congenital hernia of the abdominal wall: a differential diagnosis of fetal abdominal wall defects.
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A 28-year-old woman was referred at 33 weeks of gestation with suspected fetal intestinal atresia. Sonography showed a large extra-abdominal mass on the right of the normal umbilical cord insertion. Following Cesarean section at 36 weeks and immediate surgical treatment, the malformation was not definable either as an omphalocele or as gastroschisis. This reported case involves a previously undocumented malformation of the fetal abdominal wall described as a 'hernia' of the fetal abdominal wall. (+info)
Prenatal sonographic features of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma.
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We describe a case of fetal rhabdomyosarcoma detected during the third trimester of pregnancy by prenatal sonography. At 33 weeks' gestation, sonography performed because of suspected polyhydramnios showed a solid mass of 120 x 54 mm arising from the anterior wall of the fetal thoracic cage. Another mass within the left maxillary area which originated from the left orbital floor was also detected. In the abdomen, there were multiple round masses in and around the liver. As the previous scan at 28 weeks had appeared normal, the multiple masses which became visible and enlarged rapidly in different locations led us to believe that there was fetal cancer. The most likely diagnosis was rhabdomyosarcoma (which was later confirmed), because it is the most prevalent soft-tissue tumor in children and may develop within or outside muscle anywhere in the body and at any age. Two other reported cases which were detected by prenatal ultrasound examination are also discussed. (+info)
Prenatal sonographic features of spondylocostal dysostosis and diaphragmatic hernia in the first trimester.
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Spondylocostal dysostosis is a congenital disorder characterized by multiple malformations of the vertebrae and ribs. We describe the sonographic features of an affected fetus at 12 and 14 weeks of gestation. The fetus had thoracic scoliosis, multiple vertebral and rib malformations and a grossly dilated stomach that had herniated into the chest through a left-sided diaphragmatic hernia. The stomach spanned the whole length of the fetal trunk. (+info)
Effects of diagnostic levels of color Doppler ultrasound energy on the cell cycle of newborn rats.
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Our objective was to evaluate the safety of diagnostic levels of color Doppler ultrasound energy in the field of obstetrics and to provide the experimental data for its clinical application. After insonating pregnant rats with diagnostic levels of color Doppler ultrasound energy, we studied the cell cycles of the newborn rats by flow cytometry and factorial analysis. We found that the deoxyribonucleic acid content was not affected in any phase of the cell cycle in newborn rats by any of the different insonation times and frequencies. (+info)
Prevalence of aneuploidy with a cardiac intraventricular echogenic focus in an at-risk patient population.
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The objective of this study was to determine the relative risk for aneuploidy in the presence of a cardiac intraventricular echogenic focus in a patient population at high risk for aneuploidy. A retrospective cohort study was conducted on patients referred to a fetal diagnostic center who were undergoing amniocentesis. Records and second trimester sonograms were reviewed. Approximately 5100 comprehensive prenatal sonograms were obtained over a 2 year study period. Karyotyping by amniocentesis was done in 2412 women; 84 of the karyotypes (3.5%) were abnormal. Fetuses with no ultrasonographic findings suggestive of aneuploidy had a 1.4% (28 of 1940) prevalence of significant chromosomal abnormalities. An intraventricular echogenic focus was found in 149 of the women with karyotype analysis; 15 had an abnormal karyotype. Fetuses with intraventricular echogenic foci had a relative risk of 3.30 of aneuploidy when compared to fetuses without echogenic cardiac foci. The presence of an isolated intraventricular echogenic focus carried a relative risk of 4.08 compared to those fetuses in which ultrasonography had no finding associated with aneuploidy. In conclusion, these preliminary data indicate that presence of an intraventricular echogenic cardiac focus carries an increased risk of fetal aneuploidy. (+info)
Clinical significance of first trimester umbilical cord cysts.
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A cystic mass of the umbilical cord was identified by transvaginal sonography in 10 first trimester pregnancies at a mean gestational age of 8 weeks 4 days (range, 8 weeks 1 day to 9 weeks 3 days) and at a mean crown-rump length of 20.5 mm (range, 15 to 25 mm). The cyst was solitary in all cases, the mean diameter was 4.6 mm (range, 3 to 6 mm), and the location was closer to the fetal insertion in two cases, in the middle of the cord in seven cases, and closer to the placental insertion in one case. Gestational sac and yolk sac diameters as well as the fetal heart rate were within normal ranges for gestational age in all cases. Information on detailed second trimester scans was available in nine cases, demonstrating complete resolution of the cyst and normal fetal anatomic survey in each case. These nine pregnancies were followed to delivery, and normal healthy infants were delivered at term in all cases. This series suggests that the incidental detection of umbilical cord cysts in early pregnancy is not associated with an adverse pregnancy outcome. (+info)