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Ultrasound detection of hyaloid artery in the third trimester of pregnancy: a pathological findingThe hyaloid artery is part of the embryonic vasculature of the eye and normally regresses during the second trimester of pregnancy 1 . Failure of regression of the hyaloid artery is a sign of abnormal eye development and is usually associated with a persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous (PHPV) 2 . The hyaloid artery disappears between 23 and 28 weeks, and is normally not visible on ultrasound after 29 weeks of gestation 3 . One report has linked the observation of cataracts and thickened hyaloid artery-lens junction on ultrasound at 23 weeks with the diagnosis of PHPV 4 . Persistence of the hyaloid artery on ultrasound examination during the third trimester is a rare pathological finding. We report a case of persistence of the hyaloid artery in the third trimester of pregnancy associated with other anomalies.A 31-year-old woman, gravida 2 para 1, was referred to our prenatal diagnosis center at 27 weeks' gestation for intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Her obstetric history consisted of one normal pregnancy with term delivery. The parents were not consanguineous. The firsttrimester screening ultrasound scan had found a normal nuchal translucency measurement, but maternal serum markers had not been obtained. Follow-up ultrasound confirmed IUGR at 30 weeks, with all fetometric measurements below the 3 rd centile but a normal umbilical Doppler. Ultrasound examination also showed hyperechogenic kidneys and a persistent hyaloid artery visible on a transverse view of the right fetal orbit (Figure 1a). Amniocentesis was performed revealing a normal karyotype, and no deletion of the chromosomal region 4p was found on fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) analysis. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of amniotic fluid was negative for cytomegalovirus. Fetal skeletal three-dimensional helical computer tomography and cerebral magnetic resonance imaging were performed and were found to be normal. The hyaloid artery was still present on ultrasound examination at 32 weeks. The morphological abnormalities observed, the uncertain prognosis and the suspicion of syndromic association were explained to the couple by a multidisciplinary team involving geneticists and pediatric ophthalmologists. In accordance with French legislation, termination of pregnancy was performed at the request of the parents. The woman delivered a 1175-g (< 3 rd centile) male baby at 34 weeks.Postmortem examination confirmed IUGR and revealed renal microcysts. Macroscopic and microscopic examination of the eyes also confirmed the presence of the right hyaloid artery (Figure 1b). Hyperplastic primary vitreous was not visible on histological examination, but lens histology revealed a developing cataract (Figure 2).Despite the histological absence of PHPV in our case, the persistence of the hyaloid artery belongs to the same spectrum of ocular malformations and our histological examination showed a unilateral right cataract, which