[Prenatal diagnosis of omphalocele: a report of four cases]

Fetal omphalocele is a congenital midline defect of the ventral abdominal wall with herniation of abdominal contents into the base of ombilical cord. The prenatal diagnosis of omphalocele by real-time sonography is important for intrauterine and neonatal management and prognosis. The prognosis and mortality rate is determined rather by the presence of serious associated anomalies, such as cardiovascular and chromosomal defects, than by the omphalocele itself. MRI should be used to screen for other associated anomalies. In this report we describe four cases of fetal omphalocele diagnosed by sonography. In one case an MR examination was performed for suspected associated nervous anomalies. Prenatal literature is further reviewed to assess the clinical significance of this finding.