LARYNGEAL ATRESIA OR STENOSIS PRESENTING AS 2ND-TRIMESTER FETAL ASCITES DIAGNOSIS AND PATHOLOGY IN 3 INDEPENDENT CASES

Congenital atresia of the larynx is a rare abnormality. We describe th ree cases where prenatal diagnosis during the second trimester showed massive abdominal fetal ascites and at post-mortem, laryngeal atresia was identified in two cases, and severe laryngeal stenosis in the thir d, All were associated with pulmonary hyperplasia. No additional abnor malities were found in other systems. Overdistended lung tissue and as cites are resultant from aberrant laryngeal growth; laryngeal anomalie s are a cause of isolated fetal ascites. The association of ascites an d voluminous lungs should arouse suspicion of laryngeal atresia and sh ould be an indication for careful pathological study of the fetal lary nx. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.