NONIMMUNOLOGICAL HYDROPS-FETALIS AND INTRAPERICARDIAL TERATOMA - CASE-REPORT AND REVIEW

A large intrapericardial teratoma was found at necropsy in a 38-week s tillborn fetus, in which prenatal diagnosis of hydrops fetalis and an echogenic cardiac mass had been made. Clinical and pathological data a re reported. In utero intrapericardial teratomata lead to different ou tcomes depending on whether fetal hydrops is associated. When generali zed fetal hydrops is not present, the outcome is good, even in cases w ith large pericardial effusions. When generalized fetal hydrops occurs , it often results in a poor outcome. In our literature review, we hav e found eight perinatal deaths in nine similar cases reported.