OUTCOME OF FETUSES WITH ISOLATED BORDERLINE UNILATERAL VENTRICULOMEGALY DIAGNOSED AT MIDGESTATION

Objective To evaluate the outcome of fetuses with isolated borderline, unilateral ventriculomegaly. Design A retrospective survey was conduc ted at four perinatal centers in Israel. Subjects and methods Only fet uses with one ventricular width of greater than or equal to 11 mm and the other < 10 mm were included in the study. In all cases, the differ ence of the ventricular width between the two ventricles was > 2.4 mm (two standard deviations). Fetuses with other malformations, chromosom al abnormalities, or those with evidence of in utero infection, were n ot included in the study. Results Unilateral ventriculomegaly was foun d in 27 subjects (after excluding one case with unilateral ventriculom egaly and Down's syndrome). The mean width of the enlarged ventricle w as 11.7 +/- 0.9 mm, while the other normal ventricle was 7.2 +/- 0.9 m m. The mean gestational age at diagnosis of the unilateral ventriculom egaly was 23.6 +/- 2.7 weeks. In one case, pregnancy was terminated, a nd pathological examination of the fetal brain failed to detect any st ructural abnormality. Twenty-five patients delivered at term and only one at 34 weeks' gestation. The neurological development in all 25 fet uses was normal, and one fetus had petit mal seizures. Conclusion Fetu ses with isolated, borderline unilateral ventriculomegaly, but without other abnormalities, have a good neurological outcome.