Umbilical cord stricture: a cause of recurrent fetal death.
BACKGROUND
Umbilical cord stricture is a recognized cause of fetal demise, but the exact etiology remains unknown. The risk of recurrence has generally been thought to be low.


METHODS
Three of 4 fetuses of a single patient died between 28 and 30 weeks of gestation; all were found to have stricture of the umbilical cord at the fetal insertion. Her one surviving infant was delivered emergently at 25 weeks. All infants were growth restricted but had no anatomic abnormalities.


CONCLUSIONS
Umbilical cord stricture was diagnosed as the cause of all 3 fetal deaths. Patients with a demise attributed to umbilical cord stricture should be counseled that the risk of recurrent cord stricture is undetermined.
French
Amy E
AE
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22901, USA. aeb2s@virginia.edu
Gregg
Vanessa H
VH
Newberry
Yvonne
Y
Parsons
Theodore
T
D000328:Adult; D001344:Autopsy; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D011247:Pregnancy; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016312:Treatment Refusal; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D014470:Umbilical Cord / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*