Conservatively managed fetal goiter: an alternative to in utero therapy.
Fetal goiter may arise from a variety of etiologies including iodine deficiency, overtreatment of maternal Graves' disease, inappropriate maternal thyroid replacement and, rarely, congenital hypothyroidism. Fetal goiter is often associated with a retroflexed neck and polyhydramnios, raising concerns regarding airway obstruction in such cases. Prior reports have advocated for cordocentesis and intra-amniotic thyroid hormone therapy in order to confirm the diagnosis of fetal thyroid dysfunction, reduce the size of the fetal goiter, reduce polyhydramnios, aid with the assistance of maternal thyroid hormone therapy and reduce fetal malpresentation. We report two cases of conservatively managed fetal goiter, one resulting in a vaginal delivery, and no evidence of postnatal respiratory distress despite the presence of polyhydramnios and a retroflexed neck on prenatal ultrasound.
Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif., USA.
Yair J
YJ
Blumenfeld
Alexis
A
Davis
Kristina
K
Milan
Jane
J
Chueh
Louanne
L
Hudgins
Richard A
RA
Barth
Susan R
SR
Hintz
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D006042:Goiter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000196:embryology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography