P02.13: Prenatal diagnosis of diaphragmatic hernia: an early sonographic finding for second‐trimester diagnosis

Abstract

To assess the predictive value of an elongated stomach in the fetal abdomen on a longitudinal scan as an early sign of congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Serial sonograms were performed in 2 cases with third-trimester prenatal diagnosis of diaphragmatic hernia and postnatal follow-up was obtained. We retrospectively reviewed our cases of congenital diaphragmatic hernia. In 2 of them, despite final diagnosis was made in the third trimester, suspicion was raised at midtrimester based upon the ultrasound finding of dislocation of the stomach in the fetal abdomen, which appeared with peculiar elongated and narrow morphology on longitudinal scan. Prenatal diagnosis of diaphragmatic hernia can be made since midtrimester, although it is frequently achieved in late gestation only. We herein suggest the potential for a peculiar sonographic feature of the fetal stomach at midtrimester as a highly predictive sign for such malformation.