Module 15: Hydrops Flashcards
What is hydrops?
An abnormal accumulation of serous fluid in at least two body cavities or tissues
What is hydrops?
Abnormal accumulation of serous fluid in at least two body cavities or tissues
What are 4 examples of hydrops?
- Pleural/pericardial effusion
- Abdominal ascites
- Edema
Hydrops is based on which 2 groups of etiologies?
Immune hydrops and non immune hydrops (NIH)
Why may you see fluid in the pelvis first?
Because bowel is the easiest to displace
What is pseudoascites?
< 2 mm hypoechoic ring might just be the hypoechoic muscular layer of the abdominal wall but be mistaken for ascites
What is a pleural effusion?
Fluid in pleural space around the lungs causing pressure on the mediastinum, thoracic vasculature and heart.
Anasarca refers to what?
General edema
Where is subcutaneous edema generally first seen?
Fetal scalp and face, then abdomen and limbs
What is a late sign of hydrops?
Placental edema
How does placental edema appear?
“Ground glass” appearance and > 4cm thick
How can the etiology of placental edema be determined?
Whole placenta thick = fetal etiology
Part of placenta thick = placenta vascular malformation
If the hydrops is due to placenta vascular malformation what should be seen with the placenta?
Only that part of the placenta will look hydropic
What is the pattern with immune hydrops?
- Ascites
- Edema
- Pleural and pericardial effusions
Immune hydrops is also known as what?
Alloimmune hydrops or erythroblastosis fetalis
What is immune hydrops?
When a rhesus sensitized mother has antibodies to fetal red blood cells (maternal Rh = A- or O-) and maternal antibodies attack positive fetal RBC’S (hemolysis)
80% of immune hydrops is due to what?
Anti D antibodies
Destruction of fetal red blood cells (hemolysis) causes what three things?
- Anemia in the fetus
- Fetal hepatosplenomegaly
- Erythroblastosis fetalis
What is erythroblastosis fetalis?
Outpouring of many immature red blood cells that do not support or carry oxygen well
What does erythroblastosis cause?
- Tissue hypoxia (immature cells can’t carry O2 to cells)
- Hydrops (fluid leaks out of cells)
- Cardiac failure (heart works too hard)
- Demise
What does MCA(middle cerebral artery) Doppler show?
With severe anemia the velocity increases in the arteries due to decreases viscosity of the blood.
Optical density determination(ODD) amnio is performed to assess what?
Bilirubin level in amniotic fluid
Non immune hydrops is commonly seen in the 1st and 2nd trimester with what kind of fetuses?
Spontaneously aborted
The etiology for non immune hydrops in North America, Europe and SE Asia is what?
NA/EUR:
- Cardiovascular
- Infection
- Chromosomal abnormality
SE Asia:
- Homozygous Thalassemia