A CASE OF FETAL INTESTINAL-TRACT DISTENSIONS - PRENATAL BIOCHEMICAL AND ULTRASOUND EVALUATION

Fetal intestinal tract abnormalities can be pregnancy complications at all materna ages. There have been reports of ultrasound identificatio n of these abnormalities, particularly of fetal intestinal obstruction s. We report the first case to our knowledge of elevated levels of the intestinal isozyme, alkaline phosphatase, in the amniotic fluid and b lood serum and also the presence of prealbumin in the amniotic fluid o f a fetus with extensive intestinal distension and polyhydramnios. It was revealed that the alkaline phosphatase intestinal isozyme as well as protein electrophoresis for abnormal albumin bands in the amniotic fluid are valuable markers for the early diagnosis of the above-mentio ned fetal abnormalities.