Abnormalities of the Fetal Chest

Abstract

The normal and abnormal development of the organs lying within the fetal thorax is discussed. The abnormalities reviewed include more common findings of pulmonary hypoplasia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, congenital pulmonary airway malformation, bronchopulmonary sequestration, as well as the rarer conditions of congenital fetal hydrothorax, congenital high airway obstruction syndrome, bronchogenic cysts, neurenteric cysts, and lung agenesis. With each abnormality, the clinical implications for the fetus, best methods for prenatal diagnosis, as well as possible additional anomalies, syndromes, and aneuploidies are described. In utero and postnatal treatments are also reviewed. This review contains 10 figures, and 37 references. Key Words: Pulmonary hypoplasia, lung-head ratio, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, congenital pulmonary airway malformation, congenital fetal hydrothorax, bronchopulmonary sequestration, congenital high airway obstruction syndrome, bronchogenic cyst, neurenteric cyst, lung agenesis