Antenatal diagnosis of vasa previa: report of three cases in an African setting

Vasa previa is characterised by unprotected umbilical vessels that are crossing the internal cervical os or lying close to it. When vasa previa is not detected during antenatal period, the perinatal outcome could be grievous. Ultrasound is the modality of choice in detection of vasa previa. Despite the increasing availability of ultrasound in modern times, its use in diagnosing vasa previa still remain very low in Africa. We present the sonographic findings and perinatal outcomes of three cases of vasa previa which were detected antenatally within a period of nine months in an African setting.