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An Unusual First‐Trimester Ultrasound Presentation of the Acrania‐Anencephaly Sequence
Author(s) -
Sepulveda Waldo,
De La Maza Francisco,
Meagher Simon
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of ultrasound in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.574
H-Index - 91
eISSN - 1550-9613
pISSN - 0278-4297
DOI - 10.1002/jum.15161
Subject(s) - anencephaly , medicine , anatomy , encephalocele , skull , presentation (obstetrics) , fetus , obstetrics , pregnancy , genetics , biology
A previously unrecognized first‐trimester presentation of the acrania‐anencephaly sequence is described. Ultrasound features included a constriction ring around the external base of the developing skull and an enlarged globular head, resembling a Turkish turban, with large cystic spaces replacing the brain. This constellation of findings was noted in 3 first‐trimester fetuses. In 2 of them, it was possible to identify the amniotic membrane attached to the constriction ring. One case presented with anencephaly and fetal demise at 16 weeks. The other 2 women terminated the pregnancies and aborted anencephalic fetuses. This subtype of the acrania‐anencephaly sequence could represent an earlier segmental rupture of the amnion, which subsequently entraps the developing fetal skull.