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Background: Scarce data exist about screening, diagnosis and prognosis of non-primary Cytomegalovirus (CMV) during pregnancy. We aimed to examine antenatal diagnosis of maternal non-primary CMV infection and to identify risk factors for congenial CMV disease.Methods: Retrospective cohort of 107 neonates with congenital symptomatic CMV infection, following either primary (n = 95) or non-primary (n = 12) maternal CMV infection. We compared the groups for the manifestations and severity of congenial CMV disease, as well as for possible factors associated with the risk of developing CMV related infant morbidity.Results: Disease severity is not similar in affected newborns, with a higher incidence of abnormal brain sonographic findings, following primary versus non-primary maternal CMV infection (76.8% vs. 8.3%, p < .001). Symptomatic congenital CMV disease following a non-primary infection is more frequent if gestational hypertensive disorders and/or gestational diabetes mellitus have ensued during pregnancy (33.3% vs. 9.9%, p <0.038), as well as if any medications were taken throughout gestation (50% vs. 16.8%, p <0.016). CMV-IgM demonstrates a low detection rate for non-primary maternal infection during pregnancy compared to primary infection (25% vs. 75.8%, p = 0.0008).Conclusion: Non-primary maternal CMV infection has an impact on the neonate. Although not readily diagnosed during pregnancy, knowledge of risk factors may aid in raising clinical suspicion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetrasomy 9p is a rare condition initially reported by Ghymers et al. Reported cases are a mix of prenatal and neonatal/pediatric cases in non-mosaic and mosaic cases. We report on the common mechanism leading to this form of chromosome abnormality, the various types of tetrasomy 9p as well as the prenatal sonographic and laboratory presentation of our case and previously reported cases with mosaic and non-mosaic tetrasomy 9p. From these reported cases, a recognizable syndrome is emerging. Multiple fetal abnormalities amenable to ultrasound diagnosis are likely to be present. However, neither ultrasound study alone nor the first-trimester screen for the common aneuploidies can suggest the correct diagnosis. Chromosome study of more than a single tissue is necessary in order to establish the correct diagnosis and to differentiate between mosaic and non-mosaic tetrasomy 9p cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cerebral malformations may lead to permanent postnatal sequels. The antenatal detection of anomalous or absent fetal sulci and gyri may indicate abnormal brain development and future neurological and psychomotor problems in that infant. The prenatal diagnosis of these conditions allows genetic counseling, psychological support of the parents and optimization of obstetric management. Diagnosis is usually based on two-dimensional obstetric ultrasound (2DUS) and eventually fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to confirm findings. Fetal three-dimensional ultrasound (3DUS) using the rendering mode has been recently introduced but has not yet been extensively tested in clinical practice. Context: This study reviewed and compared three imaging modalities, 2DUS, 3DUS, and MRI, in the analysis of the development of the main sulci and gyri of central nervous system of normal fetuses between 20 and 32 weeks' gestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atelencephaly is a rare lethal congenital brain malformation characterized by underdevelopment of the prosencephalon and is often accompanied by the facial features seen in some cases of holoprosencephaly, such as cyclopia. We report a case of atelencephaly in the fetus with characteristic ultrasound findings. In addition, we report the findings on fetal MRI, which have not been previously described in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to describe brain pathology in neonates after major traffic trauma in utero during the third trimester. Our patient cohort consisted of four neonates born by emergency cesarean section after car accident in the third trimester of pregnancy. The median gestational age ( n=4) was 36 weeks (range: 30-38). Immediate post-natal and follow-up brain imaging consisted of cranial ultrasound ( n=4), computed tomography (CT) ( n=1) and post-mortem magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) ( n=1). Pathology findings were correlated with the imaging findings ( n=3). Cranial ultrasound demonstrated a huge subarachnoidal hemorrhage ( n=1), subdural hematoma ( n=1), brain edema with inversion of the diastolic flow ( n=1) and severe ischemic changes ( n=1). In one case, CT demonstrated the presence and extension of the subarachnoidal hemorrhage, a parietal fracture and a limited intraventricular hemorrhage. Cerebellar hemorrhage and a small cerebral frontal contusion were seen on post-mortem MRI in a child with a major subarachnoidal hemorrhage on ultrasound. None of these four children survived (three children died within 2 days and one child died after 1 month). Blunt abdominal trauma during pregnancy can cause fetal cranial injury. In our cases, skull fracture, intracranial hemorrhage and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy were encountered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]