BACKGROUND The diagnosis of esophageal atresia may be suspected on prenatal ultrasound scan in fetuses with a small or absent stomach or unexplained polyhydramnios. However, these findings are thought to have a low positive predictive value and clinical decisions affecting timing or site of delivery may be made erroneously. The authors evaluated the accuracy of fetal sonography followed by magn...

BACKGROUND Uterine myomas co-existing with pregnancy could cause obstetric complications. OBJECTIVES To assess sonographically the frequency of occurrence and effect of uterine myomas co-existing with pregnancy. METHODS A longitudinal study was conducted during a period of 23 months. A convenience sample of 816 consecutive consenting pregnant women who met the inclusion criteria was evaluat...

INTRODUCTION Fetal MRI is a safe, noninvasive way to image the developing fetal brain. In clinical practice, it is primarily performed for further evaluation of a suspected sonographic abnormality. Fetal MRI is also performed in conditions where prenatal sonography of the fetal brain is normal but the fetus is at increased risk for neurodevelopmental abnormalities. These include complications o...

OBJECTIVES To investigate fetal cases identified at our institution to determine whether an enlarged cavum septi pellucidi or cavum vergae is associated with other fetal abnormalities and whether its presence warrants more detailed investigation of the fetus. METHODS In a retrospective study, 15 high- and low-risk patients undergoing prenatal sonography who had an enlarged cavum septi pelluci...

OBJECTIVE Although fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is being increasingly used to evaluate sonographically suspected abnormalities, its utility in the evaluation of the spinal canal is not well studied. Because it is not susceptible to the limitations of fetal position, oligohydramnios, and shadowing from bony structures, we hypothesize that fetal MRI is better suited to assess the conten...

Prenatal diagnosis of D-transposition of the great arteries remains less frequent compared to other major congenital heart defects. In this study, we examined how often the 3-vessel and trachea view was abnormal in a large series of prenatally diagnosed cases of D-transposition of the great arteries. We found that an abnormal 3-vessel and trachea view in the shape of an "I" ("I-sign"), which re...

Hydranencephaly is a rare congenital abnormality characterized by the absence and replacement of the cerebral hemispheres with cerebrospinal fluid. Here, we present an ultrasonographic diagnosis of a case of a rare variant of fetal hydranencephaly at 38 weeks of gestation. Obstetric sonography revealed the absence of the cerebral cortex, thalami and basal ganglia with a disrupted falx and prese...

Generalized shortening of fetal long bones detected from prenatal sonographic examination usually raise a tentative diagnosis of skeletal dysplasia. Information obtained from grey-scale scan is frequently not sufficient to provide a definite diagnosis, and the images are not readily comprehensible for the parents-to-be. Lately, three-dimensional sonography has become increasing available in obs...