title: Prenatal diagnosis of alobar holoprosencephaly with cystic hygroma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Holoprosencephaly is a kind of brain anomaly characterized by inadequate cleavage of the prosencephalon during early embryogenesis. In addition, holoprosencephaly associated with cystic hygroma and hydrops fetalis has never been reported. In this article, we report a rare case of holoprosencephaly associated with cystic hygroma and hydrops fetalis diagnosed prenatally.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 28-year-old woman, gravida 2, para 0, artificial abortion 1, was referred to our antenatal clinic at 16 weeks of gestation due to fetal cystic hygroma detected by prenatal routine ultrasonography at a local hospital. In our clinic, single ventricle with fused thalami and cystic mass at the fetal neck as well as hydrops fetalis were noted by level II ultrasound. Under the impression of holoprosencephaly with cystic hygroma and hydrops fetalis, termination of pregnancy with misoprostol was undertaken. The histopathology of fetal autopsy confirmed our diagnosis and disclosed additional intracranial abnormalities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fetus with holoprosencephaly might have other associated structural abnormalities. Cystic hygroma and hydrops fetalis are rare associations. Meticulous sonographic examination to depict the associated defects are necessary in any fetus with holoprosencephaly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Cheng Kung University Medical College and Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tsung-Ying
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Chen-Hsiang
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Pao-Lin
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Fong-Ming
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000028:Abortion, Induced; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D016142:Holoprosencephaly / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D015160:Hydrops Fetalis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D018191:Lymphangioma, Cystic / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal