PRENATAL-DIAGNOSIS OF GASTROINTESTINAL OBSTRUCTION - A CORRELATION BETWEEN PRENATAL ULTRASONIC FINDINGS AND POSTNATAL OPERATIVE FINDINGS

The impact of prenatal sonographic diagnosis of oesophageal and gastro intestinal obstructions has been analysed over a 10-year period. Three groups of patients were evaluated. The first group consisted of 46 ne wborns with abnormal prenatal sonograms, 41 of which were confirmed to have intestinal obstruction postnatally. The second group consisted o f 17 neonates with normal prenatal sonograms who had intestinal obstru ction postnatally. The third group included 56 newborns who did not un dergo a prenatal sonogram but who had intestinal obstruction confirmed at surgery. Polyhydramnios without the appearance of a stomach on ult rasound was diagnostic of pure oesophageal atresia. Polyhydramnios wit h intestinal dilation was diagnostic of intestinal obstruction. Althou gh surgery was performed earlier in the infants diagnosed prenatally w ith ultrasound, mortality was no less than in the group that did not u ndergo a prenatal sonogram, probably because of the high incidence of associated anomalies.