Congenital short-bowel syndrome: Prenatal sonographic findings of a fatal anomaly

✍ Scribed by Aviram, R.; Erez, I.; Dolfin, T. Z.; Katz, S.; Beyth, Y.; Tepper, R.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1998
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 81 KB
• Volume: 26
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0091-2751
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0096(199802)26:2<106::aid-jcu11>3.0.co;2-k

✦ Synopsis

The sonographic findings in a fatal case of congenital short-bowel syndrome are reported. Sonography at 11 weeks of gestation showed a 11 × 6 mm hyperechoic mass interpreted to be a midgut umbilical hernia. A repeat scan 2 weeks later showed an intact anterior abdominal wall, no umbilical herniation, and appropriate fetal growth. Forty-eight hours after full-term, vaginal delivery, the infant began vomiting bile and passing blood rectally. Imaging studies showed distended bowel loops without airfluid levels and incomplete bowel obstruction. Laparotomy showed malrotation and short small bowel without volvulus. The infant died at 9 weeks of age. When delayed return of the midgut to the abdominal cavity is noted on prenatal sonograms, follow-up sonograms should be done throughout the second trimester, especially in patients with a family history of short-bowel syndrome, to search for dilated short bowel loops. If such loops are found, patients should be given options for pregnancy termination.