Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 31, 2026
09:58
A Choroid Plexus Epithelial Cell-based Model of the Human Blood-Cerebrospinal Fluid Barrier to Study Bacterial Infection from the Basolateral Side
Published on: May 6, 2016
Choroid plexus cysts do not affect fetal neurodevelopment
J A DiPietro1, K A Costigan, E A Cristofalo
1Department of Population and Family Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. jdipietr@jhsph.edu
Summary
Isolated choroid plexus cysts (CPCs) found during routine prenatal ultrasound do not appear to impact fetal development or growth. These cysts detected via ultrasound do not pose a threat to fetal development.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Fetal Medicine
- Prenatal Diagnostics
Background:
- Choroid plexus cysts (CPCs) are common findings during routine prenatal ultrasounds.
- The clinical significance of isolated CPCs, particularly regarding fetal development, remains a subject of ongoing research.
- Existing literature often presumes CPCs with normal karyotypes are benign, but empirical evidence is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between isolated choroid plexus cysts (CPCs) identified during routine ultrasound and subsequent fetal growth and neurobehavioral development.
- To provide empirical data supporting or refuting the presumed benign nature of isolated CPCs.
Main Methods:
- A prospective, case-control study involving 35 cases with CPCs and 67 controls.
- Fetal growth was assessed through serial ultrasound measurements of femur length, biparietal diameter, head circumference, and abdominal circumference at multiple gestational points.
- Neurobehavioral development was evaluated using 50-minute recordings of fetal heart rate, motor activity, and their interrelationship at 24, 28, 32, and 36 weeks of gestation.
Main Results:
- Longitudinal analysis showed no significant differences in fetal heart rate patterns, fetal movements, or fetal movement-fetal heart rate coupling between CPC cases and controls.
- While CPC cases exhibited slightly smaller head and abdominal circumferences at 28 weeks gestation, these differences resolved by 36 weeks.
- CPC detection was more frequent when routine ultrasounds were performed earlier in gestation.
Conclusions:
- Prenatally detected choroid plexus cysts, when isolated and with normal karyotypes, do not appear to be associated with adverse fetal growth or neurobehavioral development.
- The findings suggest that isolated CPCs are not indicative of a threat to fetal development.
- Further research may explore the long-term implications, if any, of isolated CPCs.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Neurulation
Neurulation is the embryological process which forms the precursors of the central nervous system and occurs after gastrulation has established the three primary cell layers of the embryo: ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. In humans, the majority of this system is formed via primary neurulation, in which the central portion of the ectoderm—originally appearing as a flat sheet of cells—folds upwards and inwards, sealing off to form a hollow neural tube. As development proceeds, the anterior...
01:07Teratogenicity
The ability of a drug to produce structural deformations and functional abnormalities in the developing embryo or the fetus is called teratogenicity, and the drug producing this effect is known as a teratogen. Teratogenic effects include stillbirth, miscarriage, intrauterine growth restriction, and neurocognitive delay. A teratogen may affect the embryo at different stages of development, which is important in determining the type and extent of the damage. During blastocyst formation, the early...
01:18Anatomy of the Brain: Ventricles
There are hollow fluid-filled cavities known as ventricles deep inside the human brain. There are two lateral ventricles, one in each cerebral hemisphere, and each has three different projections — the anterior, inferior, and posterior horns visible from the lateral side. A thin membrane called the septum pellucidum separates the two lateral ventricles. The slender third ventricle in the diencephalon is connected to each lateral ventricle via a channel called the interventricular foramen. The...
01:22Cerebral Edema ll: Pathophysiology
Vasogenic edema is a major form of cerebral edema characterized by abnormal accumulation of fluid in the brain’s extracellular space due to disruption of the blood–brain barrier (BBB). The BBB is a specialized structure composed of endothelial cells connected by tight junctions, supported by astrocytic endfeet and a basement membrane. Under normal conditions, it tightly regulates the movement of ions, proteins, and solutes between the bloodstream and brain parenchyma. When this barrier loses...