Fetal Cerebral Ventricular Dilatation: Etiopathogenic Study of 130 Observations

Fetal cerebral ventricular dilatation (CVD) is a common abnormal prenatal finding that often predicts a poor prognosis. The etiology involves both genetic and nongenetic factors with diverse pathogenic mechanisms. We describe the neuropathological features of CVD in a large cohort of fetuses. The goals are to determine the physiopathological mechanisms and etiologies.

We retrospectively analyzed a series of 130 fetuses examined at the Necker University Hospital following termination of pregnancy between January 2000 and December 2014. Chiari II and Dandy-Walker malformations were excluded from our study population. Karyotype and/or array comparative genomic hybridization were performed in all cases. Targeted Sanger sequencing or next generation sequencing were carried out in 34 and 5 cases, respectively.

We distinguished four groups of pathological entities: (1) midbrain/hindbrain patterning defects (54 cases, 42%), mainly related to aqueduct of Sylvius anomalies (atresia or stenosis); (2) cerebral cytoarchitectonic disorders (16 cases, 12%), essentially resulting from arachnoidal neuroglial ectopia; (3) hemorrhagic and perfusion failure (42 cases, 32%); and (4) nonspecific CVD (18 cases, 14%), without apparent obstruction, cortical malformation, or clastic injury. Although the pathogenic mechanisms of CVD were identified in 86% of cases, the causes, both acquired and genetic, were recognized in 21% of cases only.

The neuropathological analysis is a powerful tool in the diagnosis of the fetal CVD pathogenic mechanisms and to identify homogeneous groups. The paucity of molecular diagnosis, notably in the major groups of midbrain/hindbrain patterning defects and hemorrhagic and perfusion failure, highlights the needs of future research to improve our current knowledge on CVD causes. Birth Defects Research 109:1586-1595, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.