Sonographic diagnosis of fetal cerebral ventriculomegaly: an update

Area of Science:

• Prenatal diagnosis
• Fetal medicine
• Neurosonography

Background:

• Fetal ventriculomegaly is a common sonographic finding indicating diverse underlying pathologies.
• Common causes include aqueductal stenosis, Chiari II malformation, Dandy-Walker complex, and agenesis of the corpus callosum.
• While ultrasound easily detects ventriculomegaly via atrial width measurement, identifying the etiology is challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the role of prenatal sonography in determining the cause of fetal ventriculomegaly.
• To assess the prognostic value of prenatal sonographic findings in cases of ventriculomegaly.

Main Methods:

• Ultrasound measurement of the atrial width for ventriculomegaly screening.
• Detailed evaluation of the posterior fossa and visualization of the corpus callosum for etiological diagnosis.
• Review of existing literature on prenatal sonography for fetal ventriculomegaly.

Main Results:

• Ventriculomegaly is readily diagnosed using simple ultrasound measurements.
• Prenatal identification of the specific cause of ventriculomegaly is more complex.
• Posterior fossa and corpus callosum evaluation aids in etiological diagnosis.

Conclusions:

• Prenatal sonography plays a critical role in diagnosing fetal ventriculomegaly and investigating its causes.
• The etiology and presence of associated abnormalities significantly influence the prognosis of fetal ventriculomegaly.
• Detailed sonographic assessment is essential for accurate etiological diagnosis and prognostic evaluation.