Two- and three-dimensional prenatal sonographic diagnosis of hepatic cysts

Joseph R Wax1, Charles K Grimes, Jacquelyn Blackstone

  • 1Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maine Medical Center, 887 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04102, USA.

We describe the 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional multiplanar sonographic diagnosis and characterization of isolated hepatic cysts in 2 fetuses. Two-dimensional imaging of a fetus at 36 weeks' gestation revealed 2 right upper quadrant cystic masses anterior to the gallbladder, demonstrating no peristalsis or blood flow. Postnatal sonographic examination confirmed 2 simple hepatic cysts. Two- and three-dimensional sonograms suggested 2 hepatic cysts in a 23-week-old fetus that resolved by 33 weeks' gestation. In reporting 2 unusual cases of prenatally diagnosed fetal hepatic cysts, we also demonstrate the diagnostic use of 3-dimensional multiplanar imaging.