Prenatal diagnosis with ultrasound of anomalous course of the umbilical vein and its relationship to fetal outcome

Abstract

Diagnosis of three types of anomalous course of the umbilical vein (UV) was made in 10 cases using antenatal ultrasound (US). Pulsed wave (PW) Doppler ultrasound was used to evaluate the UV in all cases. In one case, the UV was directly joining the superior vena cava (SVC) without forming subcutaneous collaterals, an abnormal course of UV not yet reported previously. Of these ten fetuses, six had various associated anomalies, including three fetuses with central nervous system (CNS) abnormalities. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Persistent right umbilical vein: a prenatal condition worth mentioning?

“…Although several prior publications have reported on fetal PRUV, detailed information regarding its true frequency, impact of associated pathologies and clinical outcome data were derived from only a few larger series1, 3–5. The incidence of PRUV in our series was lower than those reported by Wolman et al 1 and Kinare et al 16 (1:1228 compared with 1:526 and 1:719, respectively). However, the exact incidence of PRUV might be somewhat higher, due to the fact that an aberrant UV may be easily overlooked during standard sonography or in transverse planes other than the appropriate section for measuring the abdominal circumference.…”

“…Table S1 summarizes previous studies on PRUV published to date1–35. A total of 302 cases—including the present series—were reviewed.…”

The fetal venous system, Part II: ultrasound evaluation of the fetus with congenital venous system malformation or developing circulatory compromise

“…In the course of normal embryonic development, the right UV degenerates and the left UV is left to carry blood from the placenta to the fetus. Failure of right UV involution results in the PRUV anomaly1, 36–39 (Figure 4). PRUV is the most frequently detected fetal venous system anomaly.…”

Abnormal systemic venous connection possibly associated with a persistent right umbilical vein; a case report

“…The intrahepatic variant is observed most frequently [3,4], and the foetuses are often normal. In a limited number of cases the liver is entirely bypassed.…”

“…In a limited number of cases the liver is entirely bypassed. The majority of newborns with this variety have multiple congenital malformations [3,5] and the unrestricted umbilical venous blood flow to the heart may result in congestive heart failure. An accurate description is important when an operation is needed for palliation or correction.…”