title: The prognostic factors and the outcome of primary isolated fetal ascites.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic factors and review the outcome of primary isolated fetal ascites.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective cohort study was conducted for fetuses with primary isolated ascites with a prenatal diagnosis between 1994 and 2009. The patients were divided into the favorable group (Group I) whose ascites were resolved by medical treatment alone and an unfavorable group (Group II) who required surgical intervention after birth due to refractory ascites.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were seven patients in Group I and five patients in Group II. Six of seven patients who developed ascites after 30 weeks' gestation were categorized in Group I, and four of five infants who developed ascites before 30 weeks' gestation were categorized in Group II. There was a negative correlation between the gestational age at diagnosis and the severity of the fetal abdominal distention. In Group II, the ascites resolved in two cases and was reaccommodated in another two cases after surgery. An infant with trisomy 21 received continuous drainage and eventually died of infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prognosis of primary isolated fetal ascites can be predicted based on the gestational age at diagnosis and the severity of the fetal abdominal distention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan. noses@pedsurg.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Satoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nose
authors.forename: Noriaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Usui
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Soh
authors.forename: Masafumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kamiyama
authors.forename: Gakuto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tani
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanagawa
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Hitomi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Arahori
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nose
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukuzawa
mesh_terms: D001201:Ascites / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000196:embryology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal