Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, Vol 5, Issue 4 203-204, Copyright © 1986 by American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
Sonographic detection of fetal intraperitoneal fluid
B. E. Hashimoto, R. A. Filly and P. W. Callen
The sonograms from 15 patients who underwent 40 intrauterine transfusions
at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, between
December 1981 and December 1984 were retrospectively reviewed. The authors
found that 12 to 14 ml of fluid were easily seen in 18- to
20-menstrual-week fetuses and that 30 to 40 ml were seen in fetuses at
greater than or equal to 30 menstrual weeks. Since the study was
retrospective, the absolute minimum of detectable fetal intraperitoneal
fluid was not recorded for each fetus. The above represent amounts that
were consistently documented during each intrauterine transfusion. In order
to gain information about the minimum detectable fetal intraperitoneal
fluid, two fetuses undergoing intraperitoneal transfusions were studied
prospectively. The minimum fetal intraperitoneal fluid volumes observed
were 10 ml in a 22-week fetus and 15 ml in a 26-week fetus.
