Radiology
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Published online before print June 13, 2002, 10.1148/radiol.2242010982
This Article
Right arrow Figures Only
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
2242010982v1
224/2/379    most recent
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Blazer, S.
Right arrow Articles by Bronshtein, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Blazer, S.
Right arrow Articles by Bronshtein, M.
(Radiology 2002;224:379-382.)
© RSNA, 2002

Obstetric Imaging

Nonvisualization of the Fetal Gallbladder in Early Pregnancy: Comparison with Clinical Outcome1

Shraga Blazer, MD, Etan Z. Zimmer, MD and Moshe Bronshtein, MD

1 From the Departments of Neonatology (S.B.) and Obstetrics and Gynecology (E.Z.Z., M.B.), Rambam Medical Center and Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, 8 Ha’Aliyah St, Haifa 35254, Israel. Received May 30, 2001; revision requested July 10; revision received October 30; accepted December 12. Address correspondence to S.B. (e-mail: blazer@rambam.health.gov.il).

PURPOSE: To prospectively assess the frequency of a nonvisualized fetal gallbladder in early pregnancy and to determine its prognostic value.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fetal transvaginal ultrasonography (US) was performed in 29,749 consecutive pregnant women at 14–16 weeks gestation. A nonvisualized fetal gallbladder was defined if the gallbladder could not be depicted during two targeted examinations within 1 week. In such cases, women were offered an amniocentesis for fetal karyotype and hepatic enzyme analysis. Repeat transabdominal fetal US was performed at 22–26 weeks’ gestation. If the gallbladder was still not depicted, US was performed postnatally.

RESULTS: The gallbladder was not visualized in early pregnancy in 34 fetuses (0.1%; incidence of one in 875 pregnancies). Associated structural malformations were detected in 14 of 34 (41%) fetuses, five of which also had an abnormal karyotype. Pregnancy was terminated in nine of these 14 fetuses. In the remaining five patients who continued pregnancy, the gallbladder was detected later in pregnancy in four. However, only one infant was healthy. Nonvisualization of the gallbladder as an isolated finding was noted in 20 of 34 (59%) fetuses, all of which had a normal outcome. The gallbladder was detected later in pregnancy in 11 of these fetuses and after birth in two neonates, while no gallbladder was detected after delivery in five other neonates. Two patients were lost to follow-up.

CONCLUSION: Nonvisualization of the fetal gallbladder in early pregnancy is uncommon but associated in many cases with other fetal anomalies.

© RSNA, 2002

Index terms: Fetus, abnormalities, 856.876 • Fetus, growth and development, 856.876 • Gallbladder, abnormalities, 856.876 • Pregnancy, abnormalities, 856.876