Prenatal diagnosis and prognosis assessment of fetal congenital choledochal cyst in23 cases / 中华围产医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the prenatal diagnosis and postnatal clinical outcomes of fetal congenital choledochal cyst (CCC) to improve the recognition and treatment of fetal CCC.Methods Clinical data of 23 cases of fetal CCC which were diagnosed during routine prenatal ultrasonic examination in Jinhua Municipal Central Hospital from June 2009 to May 2015 were retrospectively analyzzed. Maternal age, gestational age at diagnosis of CCC, location and size of cyst, postnatal examination, age at operation and follow-up outcomes were recorded and statistically analyzed by Wilcoxon rank-sum test.Results (1) Among the 23 cases, six (26%) were terminated and the rest 17 continued their pregnancies (74%). (2) Results of the prenatal ultrasonography of the 23 cases indicated that hepatic portal cysts were closely related to hepatic portal veins or arteries. Six of the cysts communicated with gall bladder and eight connected to intrahepatic bile duct. The maximum diameter of the cysts in the 23 cases was 16.0-31.0 mm, averagely (24.7±3.7) mm. The maximum diameter of cysts diagnosed in the third trimester was significantly larger than that in the second trimester [ 27.0 (22.0-31.0) vs 23.0 (21.0-25.0) mm,Z=-2.134,P<0.05]. (3) Among the 17 cases of continued pregnancy, one underwent cesarean section at 35+ weeks of gestation and 16 delivered at term with the average gestational age at delivery of (38.2±1.1) weeks. All neonates were re-examined by abdominal ultrasound at 1-2 postnatal weeks and confimed prenatal diagnosed of CCC. (4) The 17 neonates were re-examined by abdominal ultrasound during the second postnatal week and the results showed that cyst size remained the same in four, decreased in one and gradually increased with the gestational age in 12 neonates. Among the 16 cases of confirmed CCC, 12 received surgery, including 11 (Ⅰa, 6;Ⅰc, 3;Ⅳb, 2) within one year-old and one (Ⅰc) around 18 months old. The prognosis was uneventful. Four out of the 16 cases rejected surgical operation and were followed up in outpatient. One neonate was diagnosed with congenital biliary atresia and transferred to Children's Hospital for operation.Conclusions When fetal abdominal cyst presented with hepatic portal cyst which communicates with gallbladder or intra-hepatic duct in ultrasonography, a congenital choledochal cyst should be taken into consideration by excluding the possibility of biliary atresia in the first place. Surgery for CCC infants without symptoms or signs is suggested to be performed around three months after birth. The postoperative prognosis of CCC is favorable, so termination is not recommended for gravidas with fetal CCC in prenatal consultation.