title: [Sonographic evaluation of the amount of amniotic fluid. I. Polyhydramnios--significance for the course of pregnancy and labor].
abstract: In this study, 3,274 pregnant patients were sonographically examined. Special attention was paid to the classification of the quantity of amniotic fluid according to sonographic criteria. An increase in amniotic fluid was observed in 6% of the patients examined. Cases in which the largest sonographically demonstrable amniotic fluid was significantly larger than the transverse thoracoabdominal diameter were classified as polyhydramnios. An amniotic fluid depot that was either as large as or up to 10% larger than the transverse thoracoabdominal diameter of the fetus was regarded as the upper normal range for the amount of amniotic fluid. These cases were compared with a randomly chosen control group with normal quantities of amniotic fluid with regard to the occurrence of complications during pregnancy and birth and to the incidence of fetal malformation. Patients with increased quantities of amniotic fluid more frequently had symptoms of toxemia (p less than 0.01). In patients with manifest diabetes mellitus the quantity of amniotic fluid was frequently in the upper normal range (p less than 0.01), while women with gestation diabetes frequently suffered from polyhydramnios (p less than 0.001). Fifteen percent of women with quantities of amniotic fluid in the upper normal range beared macrosomatic children (p less than 0.001). Twenty-seven percent of cases with polyhydramnios (p less than 0.001) and 8% of cases with a quantity of amniotic fluid in the upper normal range (p less than 0.01) were associated with serious fetal malformation.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000175:diagnosis; D006831:Polyhydramnios / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000175:diagnosis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics / Q000175:diagnosis; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D011379:Prognosis; D012016:Reference Values; D014463:Ultrasonography
vernacular_title: Sonographische Beurteilung der Fruchtwassermenge. I. Polyhydramnion--Bedeutung für den Schwangerschafts- und Geburtsverlauf.