ANTENATAL ULTRASOUND DIAGNOSTICS IN CONGE NITAL-MALFORMATIONS OF THE KIDNEYS AND EFFERENT URINARY-TRACT FROM A PEDIATRIC-NEPHROLOGICAL ASPECT

Antenatal foetal abnormalities are found in 0.5 % of all pregnancies. 30-50 % of these abnormalities are related to the urinary tract. Altho ugh congenital abnormalities of the urinary tract can be detected as e arly as in the 15th-18th weeks of gestation, most abnormalities are de tected between the 28th-30th weeks of gestation. At this time irrevers ible damage of the kidneys has taken place and the foetus will not ben efit from antenatal therapy. On the other hand, a foetus with late ons et of obstruction will benefit from antenatal intervention. Repeated u ltrasonography is crucial for initiating further invasive diagnostic p rocedures, antenatal therapy and for planning the time of labour. Ther e is a great risk of overdiagnosis and inadequate therapy because 25 % of all antenatally diagnosed dilatations of the urinary tract could n ot be confirmed postnatally.