R. Achiron et al., PRENATAL ULTRASONOGRAPHIC DIAGNOSIS OF FETAL HEPATIC HYPERECHOGENICITIES - CLINICAL-SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT, Ultrasound in obstetrics & gynecology, 7(4), 1996, pp. 251-255
Citations number
20
Categorie Soggetti
Acoustics,"Obsetric & Gynecology","Radiology,Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
The clinical significance of sonographically detected fetal hepatic hy
perechogenicities has not been fully established The aim of this study
was to assess various aspects of fetal hepatic hyperechogenicities de
tected in utero, including natural history, prenatal investigation and
pregnancy outcome. In a retrospective survey of pregnant women presen
ting to the ultrasonographic unit five fetuses with a mean gestational
age of 20 weeks (range 14-24 weeks) were antenatally diagnosed as hav
ing hepatic hyperechogenicities. All cases underwent extensive investi
gation to establish the etiology and to determine the spectrum of ultr
asonographic presentation. In three fetuses, only parenchymal lesions
were found while two had combined lesions: parenchymal and peritoneal.
The earliest prenatal ultrasonographic diagnosis was made at 14 weeks
' gestation in a fetus with combined hyperechogenic lesions, which, at
12 weeks' gestation, demonstrated unexplained fetal ascites. Associat
ed abnormalities were found in only one fetus in which a solitary pare
nchymal lesion was associated with direct communication of the intrahe
patic portion of the umbilical vein with the right atrium, and high ou
tput cardiac failure. In this case, termination of pregnancy confirmed
ischemic hepatic necrosis. In the other four cases, no direct etiolog
y could be determined and all four pregnancies continued to term with
normal neonatal follow up until 12 months of age. The present data sug
gest that in cases of fetal hepatic hyperechogenicities, where apparen
t intrauterine infection or neoplasia can be ruled out, a vascular dis
ruption phenomenon is a putative etiology. If there are no associated
morphological abnormalities or abnormal karyotypes, the prognosis may
be favorable.