Prenatal Diagnosis of an Aneurysm of the Vein of Galen by Three-Dimensional Power and Color Doppler Ultrasonography

Aneurism of the vein of Galen is a complex arteriovenous malformation which is of multiply communications between of the vein of Galen and the cerebral arteries. It represents less than 1% of the cerebral arteriovenous malformations. Few cases using three-dimensional (3D) power and color Doppler ultrasound have been reported in the literature. We present a case of an aneurysm of the vein of Galen diagnosed at 25th week of pregnancy. We demonstrate the main findings of 3D power and color Doppler ultrasonography in this anomaly. A 36-year-old pregnant woman, gravida 3, para 2 was referred to our institution because of a midline cystic mass diagnosed in a previous ultrasonography undertaken at 24 weeks’ gestation. The ultrasonographic finding consisted of a male fetus with a midline cystic mass, with positive flow detection by color Doppler and ventriculomegaly due to the compressive effects of the malformation. The 3D color and power Doppler ultrasonography allowed us to reconstruct the architecture of the vascular malformation, and it showed the spatial relationships of aneurysm of the vein of Galen with the other structures of the brain. Pregnancy was interrupted at 29 weeks’ gestation because of presence of cardiomegaly. A male newborn survived for 36 hours only. The 3D ultrasound can be used as advent image technique in prenatal diagnosis of aneurysm of the vein of Galen

Risk factors associated with death in Brazilian children with severe dengue: a case-control study

Objective: The purpose of this case-control study was to evaluate risk factors associated with death in children with severe dengue. Methods: The clinical condition of hospitalized patients with severe dengue who died (cases, n = 18) was compared with that of hospitalized patients with severe dengue who survived (controls, n = 77). The inclusion criteria for this study were age under 13 years; hospital admission in São Luis, northeastern Brazil; and laboratory-confirmed diagnosis of dengue. Results: Severe bleeding (hemoptysis), a defining criterion for dengue severity, was the factor most strongly associated with death in our study. We also found that epistaxis and persistent vomiting, both included as warning signs in the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of dengue, were strongly associated with death. No significant association was observed between any of the laboratory findings and death. Conclusions: The finding that epistaxis and persistent vomiting were also associated with death in children with severe dengue was unexpected and deserves to be explored in future studies. Because intensive care units are often limited in resource-poor settings, any information that can help to distinguish patients with severe dengue with a higher risk to progress to death may be crucial

Prenatal Diagnosis of Sacrococcygeal Teratoma Using Two and Three-Dimensional Ultrasonography

Sacrococcygeal teratoma accounts for half of all fetal tumors, with a prevalence of 1 : 40,000 births. It is believed to originate from pluripotent cells in Hensen's nodule. Although most are benign, they are associated with high morbidity and mortality rates because the fetus develops congestive heart failure and hydrops. Factors leading to poor prognosis include solid components in the mass, and hydrops diagnosed before the 30th week. A case of prenatal sacrococcygeal teratoma diagnosed using B-mode and color Doppler two-dimensional ultrasonography (2DUS) is described, in which three-dimensional ultrasonography (3DUS) enabled characterization of the extent of fetal lesions and allowed the parents to understand the pathological condition better. A 20-year-old primigravida was referred with a solid mass diagnosed in the lumbosacral spine. Examinations performed at our institution revealed pregnancy of 23 weeks and 4 days, with a female fetus presenting a bulky solid mass with cystic components and calcifications, measuring 7.7×9.1×12.2 cm, starting from the sacral region, with internal flow seen on color Doppler. A new ultrasound confirmed fetal death at 25 weeks and 4 days. Postnatal findings confirmed the diagnosis of sacrococcygeal teratoma. 3DUS can be used in cases of sacrococcygeal teratoma to assess the development of tumor during the prenatal and to allow better understanding of this anomaly by the parents

Prenatal Diagnosis and Postnatal Findings of Bronchogenic Cyst

Bronchogenic cysts arise from abnormal buds from the primitive esophagus and tracheobronchial tree, which do not extend to the site where alveolar differentiation occurs. Bronchogenic cysts are typically unilocular mucus field lesions arising from posterior membranous wall of the air way. The prenatal diagnosis usually is realized by two-dimensional ultrasound showing the large unilocular cystic image in the chest fetus. The prenatal percutaneous aspiration can reduce the risk of heart compression and permit better respiratory conditions to newborn. We present a case of a primiparous pregnant 23 year-old-woman prenatal ultrasound showed a large unilocular cyst in the left hemithorax with compression of the normal left lung tissue and contralateral mediastinal shift. This cyst was percutaneously aspirated without subsequent reaccumulation of fluid. The newborn did not have respiratory distress and the computed tomography scan confirmed the finding of a fluid-filled cyst in the left chest. The chest X-ray showed the displacement of the heart and the mediastinum from the left to the right. The prenatal diagnosis of bronchogenic cyst is very important to assess the degree of the compression of the normal lung and the mediastinum shift. Furthermore, the prenatal diagnosis permits planning delivery in the tertiary hospital with multidisciplinary team because of the risk of respiratory distress