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Prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of small-bowel torsion
K Miyakoshi1, M Tanaka, T Miyazaki
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. kei@mc.med.keio.ac.jp
Background:
We report a case of congenital small-bowel torsion detected by prenatal ultrasonographic examination.
Case:
A 27-year-old primigravida was found to have a fetus with a small-bowel obstruction by ultrasound examination during the third trimester. At 35 weeks of gestation, she complained of absence of fetal activity. A nonstress test showed a nonreactive pattern with reduced baseline variability. Sonographic examination revealed heterogeneous echogenicity within the dilated bowel, and loss of peristalsis. Also noted was a small amount of fetal ascites. After birth, torsion of the dilated small bowel associated with ileal atresia was found at exploratory laparotomy.
Conclusion:
Serial sonographic examinations with special attention to changes in the dilated bowel are useful in the management of prenatally diagnosed small-bowel obstruction.