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Fetal Transient Clitoromegaly and Transient Hypertrophy of the Labia Minora in Early and Mid Pregnancy
Author(s) -
Zimmer Etan Z.,
Blazer Shraga,
Blumenfeld Zeev,
Bronshtein Moshe
Publication year - 2012
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.2012.31.3.409
Subject(s) - medicine , labia minora , transient (computer programming) , pregnancy , fetus , obstetrics , labia , gynecology , surgery , vulva , biology , genetics , computer science , operating system
Objective The purpose of this study was to describe a series of cases of transient changes in the female fetal external genitalia. Methods In our practice area, most pregnant women usually undergo a detailed sonographic survey of all fetal organs, including the external genitalia in early and mid pregnancy. Results During the study period (1987–2010), 62,145 consecutive pregnant women were scanned. We detected 4 fetuses with an isolated finding of clitoromegaly at 15 to 16 weeks' gestation, which disappeared at 22 to 26 weeks. Maternal hormonal study results were normal. There was 1 case of clitoromegaly and a cloacal anomaly at 15 weeks' gestation, in which the clitoris retuned to a normal size at 22 weeks. In addition, there were 3 cases of hypertrophy of the labia minora in early pregnancy, which disappeared at 26 to 32 weeks. All fetuses in these series had a normal XX karyotype and normal external genitalia at birth. Conclusions Transient changes in the appearance of the fetal external genitalia may occur in chromosomally normal female fetuses.