Abstract
Objectives: To report the association between thoracic vascular malformations observed in the first trimester of pregnancy and Down syndrome. Methods: The clinical features were reviewed of seven fetuses undergoing chorionic villus sampling (CVS) for increased nuchal translucency (NT) thickness, in which color Doppler ultrasonography revealed a vascular malformation in the fetal thorax. Results: The crown-rump length of the fetuses ranged from 58 to 78 mm and NT measurements ranged from 2.9 to 10.0 mm. Color Doppler allowed the identification of a highly vascular structure in the posterolateral portion of the fetal thorax, in proximity to the costovertebral angle, at the level of a four-chamber view of the heart. The lesions had a globular shape and were 4-6 mm in diameter, occupying almost one third of the hemithorax. Down syndrome was diagnosed in five out of the seven cases. In the only affected case that underwent postmortem examination, a hemangioma of the chest wall was demonstrated. In the two fetuses with normal karyotype, the lesion disappeared by mid-gestation. Conclusion: We report an association between the prenatal Doppler finding of a vascular tumor in the fetal chest and Down syndrome.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 218-220 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology |
Volume | 26 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Sep 2005 |
Keywords
- Color Doppler
- Down syndrome
- First trimester
- Hemangioma
- Nuchal translucency
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology
- Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging
- Radiological and Ultrasound Technology
- Reproductive Medicine
- Acoustics and Ultrasonics