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Significance of nonvisualization of the fetal urinary bladder.
Author(s) -
Clautice-Engle T,
Pretorius D H,
Budorick N E
Publication year - 1991
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 - 10.7863/jum.1991.10.11.615
Subject(s) - medicine , oligohydramnios , diaphragmatic hernia , urinary system , fetus , amniotic fluid , obstetrics , renal agenesis , urinary bladder , pregnancy , kidney , urology , surgery , hernia , genetics , biology
The fetal urinary bladder was visualized sonographically in 1254 (94%) of 1335 consecutive fetuses of 14 weeks of development or older, but it could not be seen in 81 cases (6%). Five of these cases were lost to follow‐up and were excluded from the study. Of the remaining 76 cases, 69 (91%) of the pregnancies progressed to term, and the infants were normal at birth and at 6 week perinatal follow‐up. Seven (9%) of the fetuses had a variety of associated obstetrical abnormalities that resulted in fetal demise or termination of the pregnancy (oligohydramnios, hydrops, intrauterine growth retardation [IUGR], ventriculomegaly, diaphragmatic hernia, cystic hygroma, and triploidy). Notably, none of these were renal tract anomalies. We concluded that (1) nonvisualization of the fetal urinary bladder with an otherwise normal sonogram, including normal volume of amniotic fluid and normal renal areas, is of no clinical concern and does not require follow‐up, and (2) nonvisualization of the fetal urinary bladder in the setting of associated obstetrical abnormalities may be secondary to renal tract anomalies or may only be a consequence of the associated abnormalities.