title: Antenatal diagnosis of idiopathic arterial calcification: a systematic review with a report of two cases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Idiopathic antenatal calcification is a rare, generally lethal, condition with unclear etiology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Around 200 cases, most of them undergoing postnatal diagnosis, are reported in literature. The majority of the affected infants die before the age of 6 months, and very few have survived for more than 1 year. Five cases of spontaneous resolution of the disease are described.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance has been suggested for this condition, with some gene mutations which have been recently discovered. Therapy with bisphosphonates has been suggested, with conflicting evidence regarding the utility in the regression of the disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The main purpose of the present report is to provide the available knowledge on this subject through a systematic review of the literature. In addition, we describe two cases of antenatal idiopathic arterial calcification in which antenatal diagnosis was achieved.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Policlinico di Bari, School of Medicine, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70123, Bari, Italy, mastroliasa@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Salvatore Andrea
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Mastrolia
authors.forename: Adi Yekuda
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Weintraub
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baron
authors.forename: Yael
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sciaky-Tamir
authors.forename: Arie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koifman
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Loverro
authors.forename: Reli
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hershkovitz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001158:Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D015160:Hydrops Fetalis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D006831:Polyhydramnios; D011247:Pregnancy; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D061205:Vascular Calcification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*