title: Predictive value of pleural effusions in fetal hydrops.
abstract: Twenty-eight cases of fetal hydrops are reported. A diverse aetiology was found. Fetal therapy was undertaken in 12 (42.9%). The overall survival rate was 36.8% (excluding elective terminations). However, when normal fetuses presenting from 20 weeks were considered, the survival rate was 64%. The results were combined with those of two other studies (making a total of 182 cases with fetal hydrops) to ascertain the value of pleural effusions in predicting outcome in such cases. In the 143 cases that did not end in a therapeutic termination of pregnancy, fetal pleural effusions predicted death (fetal or neonatal) with a sensitivity of 67%, a specificity of 53%, a positive predictive power of 68%, a negative predictive power of 52% and an overall accuracy of 62%.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St Michael's Hospital, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smoleniec
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: James
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality*; D005328:Fetal Viability; D006801:Humans; D015160:Hydrops Fetalis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality; D006831:Polyhydramnios / Q000150:complications; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate