title: Acardiac fetus in a triplet pregnancy: ultrasound pitfalls. A case report.
abstract: This communication aims at illustrating ultrasound diagnostic difficulties in early pregnancy with acardiac fetus. Our case concerns a spontaneously conceived triplet pregnancy. It was diagnosed as a twin pregnancy at 11 weeks of amenorrhea. One and a half months later the patient was referred to our center for spontaneous premature rupture of membranes with the diagnosis of a fetal demise in a triplet pregnancy. The definite diagnosis of acardia was assessed sonographically by the presence of a reverse blood flow through the umbilical cord, reflex movements, limbs anomalies and discordance between femoral and crown-rump length. Two days after admission, the patient developed chorioamnionitis and the three fetuses were expelled.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maison Blanche Hospital, University of Reims, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Abboud
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Garnier
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mansour
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gabriel
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gaillard
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Quéreux
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002821:Chorioamnionitis / Q000209:etiology; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death; D005322:Premature Rupture of Fetal Membranes / Q000150:complications; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000209:etiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D014310:Triplets; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal