The prenatal diagnosis of fetal colonic obstruction may be of vital importance in the management of the affected pregnancy. On antenatal sonography, the dilated colon is usually a tubular structure filled with hypoechoic meconium. We present a case of a fetus with multiple anomalies of the VACTERL association (vertebral, anal, cardio· vascular, tracheoesophageal~ renal, and limb anomalies) that presented with a hyperechoic abdominopelvic mass. At autopsy, this mass was a markedly dilated distal colon that contained meconium. Colonic obstruction should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a hyperechoic mass within the lower abdomen.
CASE HISTORYThe patient was a 19-year·old gravida 2, para 0 woman with a history of poorly controlled phenylketonuria (PKU) who first presented to the obstetric clinic at approximately 14 weeks estimated gestational age (EGA), Her phenylalanine level at that time was 21.2 mgjdL (normal range, 1.0-4.0 mgfdL). The patient was scheduled for a routine obstetric ultrasound in the high-risk clinic.At the time of the ultrasound examination, the EGA was approximately 17 weeks. The patient reported no problems with the pregnancy.Transabdominal ultrasound images demonstrated a single live intrauterine pregnancy in the breech presentation. Severe oligohydramnios was present. The placenta was anterior in location and showed grade I sonographic characteristics. The biparietal diameter (BPD) measured 3.4 em, the head circumference (HC) was 14.7 em, the abdominal circumference (AC) was 13.1 em, and the femur length (FL) was 23 em. The BPD, HC, and FL measurements corresponded to 15-17 weeks EGA; the AC measurement corresponded to 18 weeks EGA.The fetal head was noted to be slightly dolichocephalic, most likely due to the severe oligohydramnios. The cervicothoracic vertebral column was well seen, but because of the extreme paucity of amniotic fluid and the dose application of the spine to the uterine wall, the lumbosacral spine was not well visualized. The ventral wall was intact, and the stomach was located on the left. The kidneys and bladder could not be identified.Scans through the fetal abdomen and pelvis demonstrated a hyperechoic mass closely associated with the sacrum and iliac wings in the axial plane, that measured up to 20 em in diameter (Fig 1), A longitudinal image (Fig. 2) confirmed the location of the mass. , which could not be separated from the sacrum despite multiple attempts. Endovaginal sonography was refused. The initial impression was that of severe oligohydramnios due to renal aplasia or dysplasia, along with an unusual abdominopelvic mass.