Congenital diaphragmatic hernia: prognosis and prenatal detection

Fifty consecutive cases of isolated congenital diaphragmatic hernia were reviewed for prenatal ultrasound and neonatal physical findings. These were compared to survival and the need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). No prenatal findings predicted survival or the need for ECMO. In left-sided hernias, the presence of the liver in the chest predicted (p = 0.02) the requirement for ECMO. In a cohort of 13 prenatally diagnosed inborn cases, the ultrasound triad of polyhydramnios, mediastinal shift and intrathoracic stomach predicted the presence of liver in the chest (p < 0.03).