Parvoviral infection associated with increased nuchal translucency: a case report

An increased fetal nuchal translucency detected by first trimester ultrasound has been associated with an elevated risk of aneuploidy. The etiology of the increased nuchal translucency in fetuses with normal chromosomes is uncertain, but it has been associated with poor pregnancy outcome. We report a fetus with increased nuchal translucency and a normal karyotype, in which parvovirus was detected by polymerase chain reaction in the amniotic fluid. Although an ultrasound detected an increased nuchal fold thickness in the second trimester, the pregnancy was otherwise uncomplicated. Parvovirus should be considered as a possible etiology of increased nuchal translucency. The risks to a fetus with first trimester parvovirus infections diagnosed under these conditions are uncertain and require larger studies.