title: Difficult early sonographic diagnosis of absence of the fetal septum pellucidum.
abstract: Standard sonographic views of the brain obtained along the axial planes at mid-gestation failed to identify absence of the septum pellucidum in two consecutive fetuses. It was presumably the close proximity of the walls of the lateral ventricles that generated an artifact resembling a normal cavum septi pellucidi. In one of these fetuses, septo-optic dysplasia was confirmed by magnetic resonance demonstration of hypoplastic optic tracts. In the other fetus, isolated absence of the septum pellucidum was the final diagnosis. Standard axial scans are unreliable in predicting absence of the septum pellucidum in the mid-trimester fetus when the lateral ventricles are normal in size.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Bologna, via Massarenti 13, 40138 Bologna, Italy. pilu@orsola-malpighi.med.unibo.it
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pilu
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tani
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carletti
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Malaigia
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ghi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rizzo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D011247:Pregnancy; D012688:Septum Pellucidum / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal