Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, Vol 11, Issue 2 73-76, Copyright © 1992 by American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Varix of the fetal intra-abdominal umbilical vein: comparison with normal

B. S. Mahony, J. P. McGahan, D. A. Nyberg and D. P. Reisner
Division of Ultrasound Medicine, Swedish Hospital Medical Center, Seattle, Washington.

To compare the normal extrahepatic portion of the fetal intra-abdominal umbilical vein (FIUV) with varix of the FIUX, we prospectively measured the diameter of the FIUV in 150 uncomplicated second and third trimester pregnancies and compared these results with retrospective review of nine fetuses with varix of the FIUV as an isolated prenatal sonographic finding. The diameter of the normal FIUV increases linearly from approximately 3 mm at 15 menstrual weeks to approximately 8 mm at term (R = 0.92). The nine fetuses with FIUV varix had a FIUV diameter 6 to 12 standard deviations above the mean for age. Four (44%) of the nine fetuses with FIUV varix subsequently died, including one with trisomy 21. One of the remaining fetuses developed severe hydrops 2 weeks after the initial detection of the FIUV varix. FIUV varix appears to carry an increased risk of adverse fetal outcome, including fetal demise.

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