Prenatal diagnosis of Meckel’s diverticulum in a foetus

Krzyżanowski A., Kondracka A., Stupak A., Kwaśniewska A.

Department of Obstetrics and Pathology of Pregnancy, The Medical University of Lublin, Poland
Background. Meckel’s diverticulum (MD) is a remnant of the vitelline duct of the foetus and develops in the sixth week of embryogenesis. It is present in 2-3% of population and remains the most common anomaly of the digestive tract. There are only a few confirmed cases detected prenatally.
Description. We present a case study of a pregnant woman where from the 17 weeks’ pregnancy an anechoic area in the fetal abdomen was observed. During a routine ultrasound examination, a round cyst measuring 11.9 × 8.1 mm, with hyperechogenic thick walls was found just below the liver. In check-up scans conducted every three weeks, no progression was discovered.
Conclusion. Our case is the only one in the literature documented so well by prenatal scans preformed every 3 weeks and followed up for three years from detection. Meckel’s diverticulum should be an element of differential diagnostics of intra-abdominal anechoic areas in a foetus.

Keywords

Meckel’s diverticulum
digestive tract defects
diagnostics
prenatal ultrasound
case report

References

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Received 20.10.2016

Accepted 11.11.2016

About the Authors

Arkadiusz Krzyżanowski, MD, PhD, Department of Obstetrics and Pathology of Pregnancy, The Medical University of Lublin. Poland, 20-081 Lublin, ul. Staszica 16.
E-mail: a_r_krzyzanowski@tlen.pl
Adrianna Kondracka, MD, PhD, Department of Obstetrics and Pathology of Pregnancy, The Medical University of Lublin. Poland, 20-081 Lublin, ul. Staszica 16.
E-mail: adriannakondracka@wp.pl
Aleksandra Stupak, MD, PhD, Department of Obstetrics and Pathology of Pregnancy, The Medical University of Lublin. Poland, 20-081 Lublin, ul. Staszica 16.
E-mail: aleksandra.stupak@umlub.pl
Anna Kwaśniewska, MD, Prof., PhD, Department of Obstetrics and Pathology of Pregnancy, The Medical University of Lublin. Poland, 20-081 Lublin, ul. Staszica 16.
E-mail: anna.kwasniewska@umlub.pl

For citations: Krzyżanowski A., Kondracka A., Stupak A., Kwaśniewska A.
Prenatal diagnosis of Meckel’s diverticulum in a foetus.
Akusherstvo i Ginekologiya/Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2017; (5): 144-51. (in Russian)
http://dx.doi.org/10.18565/aig.2017.5.144-51

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