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Prenatal closure of abdominal defect in gastroschisis: case report and review of the literature.

Authors :
Tawil A
Comstock CH
Chang Ch CH
Source :
Pediatric and developmental pathology : the official journal of the Society for Pediatric Pathology and the Paediatric Pathology Society [Pediatr Dev Pathol] 2001 Nov-Dec; Vol. 4 (6), pp. 580-4.
Publication Year :
2001

Abstract

With the routine use of fetal imaging studies during prenatal care, increased numbers of unusual intrauterine events are now detected. Prenatal closure of the abdominal defect in gastroschisis is an example. We report a 34 5/7-week stillborn who had prenatal closure of a ventral abdominal wall defect, which had been seen earlier on fetal ultrasound examination. Two ultrasound examinations performed at 15 1/7 weeks and 19 1/7 weeks showed a mass of exteriorized bowel that herniated through the abdominal defect, just to the right of the umbilical cord. At 30 1/7 weeks, no exteriorized bowel was seen, but thickened and dilated intraabdominal bowel was identified. No abdominal defect or exteriorized bowel was found at autopsy. There was a severely dilated proximal jejunum with the absence of the rest of the small intestine and the right side of the colon. The remaining left side of the colon was small and blind proximally. Six similar isolated examples have been reported since 1991. Prenatal closure of an abdominal defect was associated with long-segment atresia of the midintestine in each case. We believe that the spontaneous closure of this abdominal defect was associated with atresia and resorption of exteriorized bowel. It is likely some of the cases of long-segment atresia may in fact be associated with closed gastroschisis.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1093-5266
Volume :
4
Issue :
6
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Pediatric and developmental pathology : the official journal of the Society for Pediatric Pathology and the Paediatric Pathology Society
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
11826366
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10024001-0081-7