[Antepartal diagnosis of an acardius in a triplet pregnancy using ultrasound]

In fetal anomalies we can follow the course by repeated ultrasound examinations and so decide the therapy. For collection of experience all rare cases should be published. Beginning in 25th gestational week we observed a triplet pregnancy, in which one fetus was a severe malformed acardius. Fetus I has been separated with an own placenta and was developing well. Fetus II had to supply the acardius with circulating blood and therefore it retarded beginning in the 28th week. Fetus III was the malformed acardius. Beginning in the 28th week it began to grow rapidly. Caused by this fact and an increasing hydramnios pregnancy was terminated by spontaneous delivery in 31th week. The normal fetus I (1320 g) survived. The retarded fetus II (830 g) died postnataly. The diagnosis of an acardius monster (triplet III, 2090 g) was confirmed by autopsy. Good collaboration with the pathologist is of great value, because he can show the clinician the degree of precision of his antenatal diagnosis.