title: Omphalocele and gastrochisis.
abstract: Between January 1989 and November 1996 we detected a total of 44 cases of anterior abdominal wall defects comprising 29 with an omphalocele and 15 with gastrochisis. The gestational age at antenatal diagnosis of gastrochisis (mean = 17 weeks, 95% CI = 15-19) was significantly lower than for omphalocele (mean = 19.0 weeks, 95% CI = 17-21). Whereas gastrochisis tended to occur in relatively younger mothers (mean age = 23 years), omphalocele was associated with a comparatively advanced maternal age (mean age = 28 years). The sensitivity of ultrasound detection was the same for both malformations (omphalocele = 86.2%; gastrochisis = 86.7%). Additional structural anomalies were found in a higher proportion of those with an omphalocele compared with those with gastrochisis (62% vs. 20%). All the three cases of chromosomal anomalies were detected in omphalocele fetuses with an intracorporeal liver. Perinatal mortality was higher, albeit nonsignificantly, among fetuses with omphalocele.
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal and Child Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL 35294, USA. hsalihu@uab.edu
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Salihu
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Boos
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D020139:Gastroschisis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006554:Hernia, Umbilical / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal