Are fetuses with isolated echogenic bowel at higher risk for an adverse pregnancy outcome? Experiences from a tertiary referral center

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the risk of poor perinatal outcome in normal karyotype second-trimester fetuses with the sonographic finding of isolated echogenic bowel. Medical records, ultrasonographic findings and outcome details were reviewed for 97 cases of isolated fetal echogenic bowel, after excluding cases of aneuploidy and major congenital anomalies, and compared with a cohort of 400 fetuses without pathologic intra-abdominal findings. The incidence of echogenic bowel during the 14-year study period was 0.8%. Eighty (82.5%) pregnancies resulted in healthy, live-born infants. Congenital infection and cystic fibrosis was reported in 6.2% and 4.4%, respectively. The incidence of intrauterine growth restriction and intrauterine fetal demise was significantly higher in the group of isolated echogenic bowels compared with the control group (9.9% versus 1.3%, p ≤ 0.001; 8.9% versus 0.5% p ≤ 0.001). Echogenic bowel is a risk factor for an adverse pregnancy outcome, even in normal karyotype fetuses without congenital anomalies. This information should be considered when counseling patients after midtrimester echogenic bowel is diagnosed.