title: Prenatal diagnosis of fetal omphalocele by ultrasound: a comparison of two centuries.
abstract: An omphalocele, a fetal abdominal defect, is a very important congenital anomaly. Prenatal diagnosis of fetal omphalocele is crucial to clinical management.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the accuracy of prenatal diagnosis for fetal omphalocele, we undertook a retrospective and consecutive analysis of our ultrasound database between January 1994 and December 2011.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, ultrasound (US) detected 52 fetuses with an omphalocele in utero.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of fetal omphalocele is estimated as 1:1249 (0.08%). We also compared the gestational age at US diagnosis between the two centuries. In the 20(th) century, 22 cases of omphalocele were detected: four (18%) cases at first trimester, 17 (77%) cases at second trimester, and 1 (5%) case at third trimester. In the 21(st) century, 30 cases of omphalocele were detected: 13 (43%) cases at first trimester, 15 (50%) cases at second trimester, and two (7%) cases at third trimester. The gestational age at diagnosis of omphalocele is significantly earlier in the 21(st) century than in the last century.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With the advancement and improvement in US equipment, the early detection of fetal omphalocele is feasible, which will substantially contribute to fetal wellbeing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine and Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Ling
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Pei-Ying
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Yueh-Chin
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Huei-Chen
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Chiung-Hsin
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Fong-Ming
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006554:Hernia, Umbilical / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: diagnosis; omphalocele; prenatal