Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 3, 2026
A Modified Sonographic Algorithm for Image Acquisition in Life-Threatening Emergencies in the Critically Ill Newborn
Published on: April 7, 2023
Third trimester ultrasound of fetal pyelectasis: predictor for postnatal surgery
Loralei L Thornburg1, Eva K Pressman, Satya Chelamkuri
1Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 668, Rochester, NY 14642, USA. loralei_thornburg@urmc.rochester.edu
Objective:
The ability to predict surgically relevant fetal renal pyelectasis is limited. We sought to determine whether the intrauterine timing of prenatal pyelectasis can predict the need for postnatal surgery.
Methods:
We retrospectively reviewed all patients with ultrasound measurements of the fetal renal pelvis during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters and postnatally. Pyelectasis was defined as >7mm for renal pelvis antero-posterior diameter in the 2nd trimester and >10mm in the 3rd trimester.
Results:
Fifty-nine patients out of 2397 candidates met the criteria for inclusion. A total of 116 kidneys were analyzed independently. Second trimester pyelectasis was associated with grade of postnatal hydronephrosis but not the need for surgery. Third trimester pyelectasis was associated with both postnatal hydronephrosis and surgery. The positive and negative predictive values for postnatal surgery were respectively 18% and 95% in the second trimester, and 27% and 100% in the third trimester.
Conclusions:
Third trimester ultrasound for fetal pyelectasis was better able to predict surgically relevant hydronephrosis than second trimester ultrasound.