Antenatal diagnosis of aberrant umbilical vessels.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the antenatal screening of aberrant umbilical vessels and assess the association of fetal abnormality with these entities.


METHODS
444 pregnant women were studied with routine obstetric ultrasound and Doppler color flow imaging in late second trimester or early third trimester. Fetal growth and anomaly, and the number of umbilical cord vessels were screened.


RESULTS
Out of 444 subjects, 3 cases with discordant umbilical artery, 2 with four vessels in the umbilical cord, and 1 with single umbilical artery were detected (1.4%). Fetal anomaly was noted in 2 of 6 cases with aberrant umbilical vessels (33.3%).


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that antenatal screening of umbilical cord vessels is necessary for detection of fetal anomalies.
Aoki
S
S
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shimane Medical University, Izumo, Japan.
Hata
T
T
Ariyuki
Y
Y
Makihara
K
K
Hata
K
K
Kitao
M
M
D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D014469:Umbilical Arteries / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D014471:Umbilical Veins / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology