Perinatal outcome after prenatal diagnosis of placental chorioangioma.

OBJECTIVE: To review the prenatal complications, management, and perinatal outcome in pregnancies complicated by placental chorioangioma. METHODS: Cases of placental chorioangioma diagnosed prenatally as part of a prospective, multicentric program for fetal diagnosis and therapy were identified. All cases were evaluated with color flow imaging. In the latter part of the study, three-dimensional power Doppler angiography was also used to study the vascular pattern of the tumor. Information on maternal demographics, prenatal sonographic findings, pregnancy complications, antenatal intervention, and perinatal outcome was obtained by reviewing the medical records or contacting the referring obstetricians. RESULTS: In the 5-year period from January 1997 to December 2001, 11 cases of placental chorioangioma were diagnosed prenatally. Nine cases were diagnosed in singleton and two in twin pregnancies. Among the nine cases occurring in singletons, five (56%) were associated with pregnancy complications, including polyhydramnios (n = 3), oligohydramnios (n = 2), fetal growth restriction (n = 2), and nonimmune hydrops (n = 1). Amniodrainage was required in one of these cases, allowing prolongation of pregnancy until term. Four (44%) singletons delivered before 35 weeks. Overall, two fetuses died, including one twin due to complications of twin-twin transfusion syndrome and another with hydrops after alcohol injection into the chorioangioma. In four pregnancies, no prenatal complications were detected in spite of continuous growth and vascularity of the placental mass in three of them. CONCLUSION: Placental chorioangioma is associated with an increased risk of pregnancy complications, the most common being polyhydramnios and preterm delivery. In selected cases, amniodrainage allows continuation of the pregnancy with improving perinatal outcome. Fetuses who develop hydrops are at the highest risk for perinatal death, with limited therapeutic options being available. Close follow-up is advised, even in those cases with no associated findings at the time of the diagnosis.

Second-trimester sonographic findings in trisomy 22: report of 3 cases and review of the literature.

OBJECTIVE: To describe cases of trisomy 22 detected prenatally on second-trimester sonography and to review the literature on similar cases, with special emphasis on the prenatal findings and pregnancy outcome. METHODS: We performed follow-up second-trimester sonography and fetal karyotyping on 3 pregnant women who were referred because of abnormal findings on initial second-trimester scans. We also conducted a literature search for other reports of sonographic findings in trisomy 22. RESULTS: Fetal abnormalities shown on sonography included nuchal thickening, mild generalized skin edema, an atrioventricular septal defect, an interventricular septal defect, edema of the scalp, face, and neck, severe left pleural effusion with a marked mediastinal shift, ascites, agenesis of the diaphragm, ambiguous genitalia, a single umbilical artery, bradycardia, a multicystic left kidney, and an absent right kidney. All 3 fetuses had karyotypes indicating trisomy 22. One pregnancy was terminated at the parents' request, and 2 ended in fetal death at 23 and 26 weeks. Our literature search revealed only 1 previous report of second-trimester sonographic diagnosis of trisomy 22. We found 3 other reports describing prenatal diagnosis in the third trimester, but only limited information on the sonographic findings was available. CONCLUSIONS: Second-trimester sonography provides valuable clues for the prenatal diagnosis of several chromosomal disorders, including trisomy 22. Prenatal karyotyping is warranted if fetal growth restriction is detected in the second trimester, especially if associated with congenital defects.