Antenatal diagnosis of upper urinary tract dilation by ultrasonography

The criteria for the detection of fetal pyelectasis are still controversial. Prenatal and postnatal data from 2,170 consecutive pregnant women who underwent at least one antenatal ultrasound scan were prospectively studied. Fetal pyelectasis was defined on the basis of a mean renal pelvis dimension > 5 or 10 mm before or after 28 weeks of gestation, respectively. Pyelectasis was detected in 95 (4.4%) fetuses. Eighty-nine among them were explored after birth. In 13 (13.7%) cases, an obstructive urinary tract abnormality, a severe vesicoureteral reflux, or a megaureter were diagnosed postnatally. In 29 (30.5%) cases, pyelectasis was confirmed postnatally, while complementary investigations ruled out an obstruction of the urinary tract. The incidence of urinary tract malformations was thus 0.60%, while the positive predictive value was 13.7%. We recommend to use a value not < 10 mm of the renal pelvis mean dimension beyond 28 weeks of gestation as a threshold for detection of fetal upper urinary tract obstruction, in the absence of ureteric and/or bladder dilation. Any value between 5 and 10 mm measured during the 2nd trimester of gestation should be confirmed by a second ultrasound examination performed during the 3rd trimester, before being considered pathological.