The fetal lung 2: pulmonary hypoplasia

This review describes the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypoplasia and highligh ts its clinical, radiological and pathologic features, with emphasis on oli gohydramnios-related pulmonary hypoplasia. Since pulmonary hypoplasia may l ead to severe respiratory distress immediately after birth and even to neon atal death, an accurate and patient-friendly prenatal test for early detect ion and distinction between lethal and non-lethal pulmonary hypoplasia is s till highly desirable. An extended overview of the proposed methods for the prenatal prediction of pulmonary hypoplasia is presented.