Fetal Thorax/Abdomen Flashcards
What is the shape of a normal thoracic cavity?
symmetrically bell shaped
ribs form lateral margins, clavicles form upper margins and diaphragm forms lower margin
What is the best determinate for predicting pulmonary hypoplasia?
chest area minus heart area times 100 divided by chest area
fetus with significantly narrow diameter of chest may have asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy
What is the normal sonographic appearance of inutero lungs?
appear homogeneous with moderate echogenicity
early in gestation, lungs similar to or slightly less echogenic than liver
as gestation progresses, trend is toward increased pulmonary echogenicity realative to liver
How much time does a mature fetus spend breathing?
almost 1/3 of its time breathing
What is pulmonary hypoplasia?
caused by decrease in number of lung cells, airways, and alveoli, with resulting decrease in organ size and weight
reduction in lung volume results in small, inadequately developed lungs
How is pulmonary hypoplasia diagnosed?
decreased ratio of lung weight to body weight is consistent method of diagnosing
What is the cause of pulmonary hypoplasia?
most commonly occurs from prolonged oligohydramnios or secondary to small thoracic cavity as result of structural or chromosomal abnormality
What kidney abnormalities result in lethal pulmonary hypoplasia?
bilateral renal agenesis, bilateral multicystic kidney disease, severe renal obstruction, unilateral renal agenesis with contralateral multicystic kidney development, severe obstruction, infantile polycystic kidney disease
(because these result in oligohydramios)
When may pulmonary hypoplasia occur?
in fetuses with IUGR and early rupture of membranes
masses within the thoracic cavity may lead to pulmonary hypoplasia (diaphragmatic hurnia)
may also be seen with cardiac defects, some skeletal dysplasia, CNS disorders, and chromosomal trisomies
What is the prognosis of pulmonary hypoplasia?
grave
severity depends on when pulmonary hypoplasia occurred during pregnancy and its severity and duration
What different ways can be used to detect pulomary hypoplasia?
thoracic measurements, various lung measurements, estimation of lung volume, doppler studies of pulmonary artieries, assessment of fetal breathing activity
Describe cystic lung masses.
echo free masses that replace normal lung parenchyma; variable in size; may cause notable shifts of intrathoracic structures
What is the most common cystic lung mass?
brochogenic cyst
Where does a bronchogenic cyst usually lay?
within mediastinum of lung
it lacks any communication with trachea or bronchial tree
Sonographically, what do bronchogenic cysts look like?
small, circumscribed masses without evidence of mediastinal shift or heart failure
What effect does a bronchogenic cyst have on the amniotic fluid?
no effect
amniotic fluid volume within normal range
What is pleural effusion?
hydrothorax
accumulation of fluid within pleural cavity that may appear as isolated lesion or secondary to multiple fetal anomalies
What is the most common reason for hydrothorax?
chylothorax
occuring as right-sided unilateral collection of fluid secondary to malformed thoracic duct
(polyhydramnios often accompanies chylothorax)
What is the sonographic appearance of pleural effusion?
echo-free peripheral masses on one or both sides of fetal heart; conform to thoracic cavity and often compress lung tissue; lung appears to float in fluid
With the presence of pleural effusion, what may it cause?
shift of mediastinal structures; compression of heart; inversion of diaphragm
Does pleural effusion change the shape of the lung?
no
Once hydrothorax is discovered, what else should be looked for?
lung, cardiac, and diaphragmatic lesions
sign of hydrops
What is the prognosis for pleural effusion?
mortality rate at 50%
when PE is large, lung development impaired, which may result in pulmonary hypoxia
What are the most common solid lung masses?
pulmonary sequestration and certain types of cystic adenomatoid malformations (CAMs)
What is pulmonary sequestration?
2nd most common lung lesion
a supernumerary lobe of lung, seperated from normal tracheobronchial tree
Describe the two types of pulmonary sequestration.
intralobar: extrapulmonary tissue present within pleural lung sac; has arterial supply; 2/3 occur in the left lung; most common of the two; not associated with other anomalies
extralobar: extrapulmonary tissue connected to inferior border of lung within its own pleural sac; male predomninance; associated with other anomalies in half of cases; 95% occure in left lung
What is the sonographic appearance of pulmonary sequestration?
echogenic solid mass resembling lung tissue; rarely occurs below diaphragm; normal intra-abdominal anatomy
doppler demonstrates arterial supply and multiple feeding vessels are common
What is congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation?
CCAM
a multicystic mass within the lung
consists of primitive lung tissue and abnormal bronchial and bronchiolar-like structures
may communicate with bronchial tree
result of abnormal development of bronchial tree at level of the trachea, bronchiloes, and alveoli
What is the most common congenital lung lesion?
congenital pulmonary airway malformation
What is the sonographic appearance of CCAM or CPAM?
cysts within the mass may be large or small; texture varies; most lesions are unilateral; most lesions are benign; no internal flow
How do you calculate the CPAM volume and CPAM volume ratio?
CPAM volume: LxHxWx0.52
CVR: CPAM volume / HC
What amount of CVR is associated with significant risk for hydrops?
CVR > 1.6
How does CPAM progress?
progress rapidly up to 20-26 weeks gestation and after that, they regress completely (90%)
type 4 usually does not regress
Why is diagnosis of CPAM important?
so a team can be ready at birth to provide respiratory support due to fetal respiratory distress
What is the prognosis of CCAM?
depends largely on presence of hydrops, polyhydramnios, and pulmonary hypoplasia
What is the chain of events involving a diaphragmatic hernia?
first, a failure of the diphragm to completely close during development; then herniation of abdominal contents into the chest; pulmonary hypoplasia results because lungs will not be able to develop normally
What is a congential diaphragmatic hernia?
herniation of abdominal viscera into chest that results from congenital defect in fetal diaphragm
is sporatic - occurs in 1: 2000-5000 births
CDH is the most common type of diaphragmatic defect that occurs where?
posteriorly and laterally in diaphragm (herniation through foramen of Bochdalek)
left sided organ enter chest through opening (stomach, spleen, portions of liver); abnormally positioned abdominal organs shift heart and mediastinal structures to right side of chest
Where do the majority of Bochdalek hernias occur?
on the left side
Where else may a CDH be seen (other than through foramen of Bochdalek)?
may occur anteriorly and medially in diaphragm, through foramen of Morgagni, and may communicate with pericardial sac
the heart may be normally positioned but surrounded by plerual fluid, while fetal stomach may be located in its normal postition in abdomen
What are the sonographic features of LEFT CDH?
intrathoracic stomach; displaced cardiac apex; cardiomediastinal shift, intrathoracic liver (look for portal venous flow), small right lung, small LV of heart
What is critical to make a diagnosis for left CDH?
cardiomediastinal shift
What are the sonographic features of RIGHT CDH?
cardiomediastinal shift to the left, intrathoracic liver, stomach may be inferior to diaphragm and the the right, herniated GB, small amount of ascitic fluid adjacent to the liver
What will be seen with CDH regarding measurements?
small AC
What measurements can be used to identify CDH?
lung to head ratio (lung area/HC) - lung area=L1xL2
AC
What is a hybrid lung lesion?
combination of bronchopulmonary sequestration and CPAM
cystic lesion supplied by systemic circulation
What is congenital lobar emphysema (CLE)?
over inflated, fluid filled lobe or lung
rare
diagnosed postnatally
What is the incidence of CLE?
male predominance
more common in left lung
How may an infant develop infantile respiratory distress with CLE?
overdistension and airtrapping in the affected lobe of lung