Locating the Level and Extent of Congenital High Airway Obstruction: Fluid in the Airway Tract as Reference Points

Described here are a series of four cases of congenital high airway obstruction in the fetus. All of the patients presented in the second trimester and all had hydrops fetalis. Three cases had bilateral hyperinflated lungs, midline shift of heart, flattening or inversion of the diaphragm, and fetal ascites. Autopsy was performed in one of these three and showed laryngeal atresia. In one fetus, there was only a unilateral huge enlargement of the lung with mediastinal shift. On autopsy, this fetus had atresia of right main bronchus. All parents had terminated the pregnancy following the prenatal diagnosis. Laryngeal atresia is an extremely rare fetal anomaly with dismal prognosis. It is important to differentiate the condition from other lesions with a more favorable prognosis, such as congenital adenomatoid malformation of the lung. Much research is needed in the future to explore the therapeutic options, including fetoscopic intervention or transplantation of stem cell–derived airways.