Acardiac fetus in a triplet pregnancy: ultrasound pitfalls - A case report

This communication aims at illustrating ultrasound diagnostic difficulties in early pregnancy with acardiac fetus. Our case concerns a spontaneously c onceived triplet pregnancy. It was diagnosed as a twin pregnancy at 11 week s of amenorrhea. One and a half months later the patient was referred to ou r center for spontaneous premature rupture of membranes with the diagnosis of a fetal demise in a triplet pregnancy. The definite diagnosis of acardia was assessed sonographically by the presence of a reverse blood flow throu gh the umbilical cord, reflex movements, limbs anomalies and discordance be tween femoral and crown-rump length. Two days after admission, the patient developed chorioamnionitis and the three fetuses were expelled. (C) 2000 El sevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.