Fetal Intraabdominal Calcifications: Prenatal and Postnatal Course

Kim, Jung Hoon; Ko, Sun Young; Kim, Kyung Ah; Lee, Yeon Kyung; Shin, Son Moon; Han, Byung Hee

Abstract

PURPOSE
Recently, with the improvement of techniques for antenatal ultrasonography, fetal intraabdominal calcifications have been increasingly detected. These findings are important because they can signify meconium peritonitis, intrauterine infection, or thromboembolism in hepatic or portal vein. So, we studied clinical course of fetuses and infants with intraabdominal calcifications prenatally and postnatally.
METHODS
We analyzed retrospectively medical records of 47 mothers and their 38 children diagnosed with fetal intraabdominal calcifications at Cheil General Hospital & Women's Health Care Center, Kwandong University College of Medicine from January 2003 to December 2008. Fetal intraabdominal calcifications were divided into the two groups, 'extrahepatic-intraabdominal calcifications' and 'hepatic calcifications', and assorted again into 'simple type' and 'complicated type' respectively. And their clinical course and outcome were compared.
RESULTS
Among 47 pregnant women with intraabdominal calcifications, 31 fetuses were suspected of meconium peritonitis, 12 revealed hepatic calcifications, and 4 had other calcifications. Seven pregnant women had lost to follow up, while 2 were intrauterine fetal demise and artificial termination of pregnancy, respectively. Thirty-eight babies were born and postnatal ultrasonography was done for 31 cases. The group of meconium peritonitis was divided into simple type (64.5%) and complicated type (35.5%). Among them, surgical treatments were needed for 2 infants, one had simple type and the other had complicated meconium peritonitis, respectively. The group of hepatic calcifications was divided into simple type (75%) and complicated type (25%). None of them needed any treatment and they showed good clinical course.
CONCLUSION
Fetal intraabdominal calcifications are relatively frequent and benign disease with good clinical outcome. However, because of need for neonatal surgery, periodic and steady follow-up by ultrasonography is needed prenatally and postnatally.