The purpose of this study was to evaluate the significance of polyhydramnios combined with intrauterine growth restriction. During a 6 year period, 39 fetuses were identified by prenatal sonography as having both polyhydramnios and intrauterine growth restriction. Polyhydramnios was defined as a four‐quadrant amniotic fluid index of 24 or greater (mean 30.5, range 24 to 40). Intrauterine growth restriction was defined as estimated fetal weight less than the tenth percentile (Hadlock standards). The mean birth weight was 2213 g. Major anomalies were present postnatally in 92% (36 of 39) of fetuses. Among nine fetuses without sonographically detectable anomalies prenatally, six (67%) proved to have one or more anomalies at birth. Chromosome abnormalities were present in 38% (15 cases) including 10 fetuses with trisomy 18 and one with trisomy 13. The overall mortality rate was 59%. The combination of polyhydramnios and intrauterine growth restriction is ominous. The majority of fetuses have major anomalies or chromosome abnormalities, or both, even when other sonographic abnormalities are absent. Chromosome analysis and detailed fetal evaluation should be offered when polyhydramnios and intrauterine growth restriction are identified prenatally.
ransvaginal ultrasonography has proven to be a valuable modality in evaluation of women with suspected ectopic pregnancy. [1][2][3][4] Its value lies not only in the near exclusion of ectopic pregnancy by identification of an IUP but also in the diagnosis of an ectopic pregnancy by recognition of key adnexal findings. Transvaginal ultrasonography enables the detection of extrauterine living embryos, tubal rings, complex masses, and free pelvic fluid.Pelvic fluid is an important extrauterine finding in the evaluation of a possible ectopic pregnancy. The identification of moderate to large amounts of fluid has been shown to correlate with a high risk for ectopic pregnancy. 5,6 More recently, characterizing the fluid as echogenic has been proposed as a significant extrauterine risk factor for ectopic pregnancy, regardless of the amount of fluid. 7 The purpose of this study was to evaluate how echogenic fluid detected by transvaginal ultrasonography correlates with surgically proven hemoperitoneum in suspected ectopic pregnancies. Echogenic fluid is an important extrauterine finding of ectopic pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to determine how accurately echogenic fluid correlates with hemoperitoneum at surgery. Transvaginal sonography was performed in 831 consecutive patients referred to rule out ectopic pregnancy over a 36 month period. Scans were retrospectively evaluated for the presence or absence and echogenicity of free pelvic fluid. Subsequently, 185 patients had a laparotomy or laparoscopy and had documentation of the presence or absence of hemoperitoneum. On transvaginal sonography 125 patients had echogenic fluid, 30 patients had anechoic fluid, and 30 patients had no fluid. Of the 125 patients with echogenic fluid, 122 (98%) patients had hemoperitoneum; none of the patients with anechoic fluid or no detected fluid had hemoperitoneum (0%). Echogenic fluid had a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 95%, positive predictive value of 98%, and an accuracy of 98% for detecting hemoperitoneum. This study demonstrates that echogenic fluid detected by transvaginal ultrasonography accurately correlates with hemoperitoneum detected at surgery in patients with suspected ectopic pregnancy.
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