Frequency of Ventriculomegaly in Fetuses With Spina Bifida During 2nd and 3rd Trimester of Prgnancy
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Background: Ventriculomegaly is a frequent intracranial finding in fetuses with open spina bifida and may influence prenatal evaluation and counselling. Objective: To determine the frequency of ventriculomegaly and describe ventricular width and lesion level in fetuses with spina bifida during the second and third trimesters. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional ultrasound study included 30 pregnancies with fetal spina bifida. Maternal age, gestational age, trimester, fetal presentation, spinal-lesion level, ventriculomegaly status, and ventricular width were summarized using frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations, and ranges. Results: Mean maternal age was 28.07 ± 3.97 years and mean gestational age was 29.83 ± 5.36 weeks. Twenty-two examinations (73.3%) occurred in the third trimester. The lesion was lumbar in 14 fetuses (46.7%), sacral in 7 (23.3%), lumbosacral in 5 (16.7%), and thoracolumbar in 4 (13.3%). Ventriculomegaly was recorded in 23 fetuses (76.7%). Mean ventricular width across the sample was 12.93 ± 3.00 mm (range 8.00–18.00 mm). Conclusion: Ventriculomegaly was common in this small sonographic series of fetuses with spina bifida, and the lumbar region was the most frequent lesion level. Larger prospective studies with standardized neurosonography and outcome follow-up are required
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