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Updated: Jun 5, 2026
State of the Art Cranial Ultrasound Imaging in Neonates
Published on: February 2, 2015
Fetal scalp cyst or small meningocele: differential diagnosis with three-dimensional ultrasound
Waldo Sepulveda1, Amy E Wong, Sergio Sepulveda
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, San Jose Hospital, University of Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile. fetalmed@yahoo.com
Background:
Prenatal differential diagnosis of fetal scalp cystic masses is challenging and mainly includes small meningoceles and epidermal cysts.
Case:
A second-trimester anatomy scan revealed an extracranial cystic mass measuring 17 × 12 × 10 mm in the fetal occipital region. Three-dimensional datasets were obtained transabdominally and off-line analysis revealed a connection between the cyst and the subarachnoid space through a 5-mm skull defect. The diagnosis of a small meningocele was further confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging in the infant.
Conclusion:
Prenatal three-dimensional ultrasound can be a useful adjunct in the prenatal differentiation between small meningoceles and epidermal cysts.
