RadioGraphics, Vol 15, 1329-1344, Copyright © 1995 by Radiological Society of North America
Areas of increased echogenicity in the fetal abdomen: diagnosis and significance
FF Rypens, EF Avni, MM Abehsera, C Donner, DF Vermeylen and JL Struyven
Department of Radiology, University Clinics of Brussels, Hospital Erasme, Belgium.
Areas of increased echogenicity in the fetal abdomen are defined as
abnormally bright areas with an echogenicity similar to that of surrounding
bones. Such areas are encountered in various normal and abnormal processes.
When increased echogenicity is discovered in the fetal abdomen, a careful
search should be made for a potential cause. The causes to be considered
depend on the location of the areas of increased echogenicity, which can be
classified as intestinal, peritoneal, hepatic, retroperitoneal, and
parietal. In each case, vascular, ischemic, infectious, tumoral, metabolic,
and chromosomal abnormalities should be included in the differential
diagnosis before considering the finding a normal variant. Therefore, in
utero detection of fetal abdominal areas of increased echogenicity requires
a complete sonographic survey of the fetus and placenta along with close
sonographic follow-up, evaluation of familial factors, and testing for
possible associated cystic fibrosis, infection, or a chromosomal anomaly.
The prognosis depends more on the underlying disease than on the extent of
the increased echogenicity.
