Ultrasound Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Ultrasound, including details on screening, diagnosis, pregnancy, detection.

Umbilical cord stricture: a cause of recurrent fetal death.

French AE, Gregg VH, Newberry Y, Parsons T

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22901, USA. aeb2s@virginia.edu

BACKGROUND: Umbilical cord stricture is a recognized cause of fetal demise, but the exact etiology remains unknown. The risk of recurrence has generally been thought to be low. CASE: Three of 4 fetuses of a single patient died between 28 and 30 weeks of gestation; all were found to have stricture of the umbilical cord at the fetal insertion. Her one surviving infant was delivered emergently at 25 weeks. All infants were growth restricted but had no anatomic abnormalities. CONCLUSION: Umbilical cord stricture was diagnosed as the cause of all 3 fetal deaths. Patients with a demise attributed to umbilical cord stricture should be counseled that the risk of recurrent cord stricture is undetermined.

Published 2 May 2005 in Obstet Gynecol, 105(5): 1235-9.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Ultrasound Research Today. All Rights Reserved.