A diagnostic flow chart for non-immune hydrops fetalis.

摘要

Hydrops fetalis is a condition characterized by abnormal accumulation of fluid in two o more fetal compartment. It can include the presence of ascites, pleural effusion, pericardial effusion, and skin edema and it can also be associated with polyhydramnios and placental edema. In the accompanying paper we have reviewed the etiology of nonimmune hydrops fetalis extensively, and have described a wide range of associated anomalies [Bellini et al., in press]. Despite extensive pre- and postnatal investigations, including postmortem pathological examination of the fetus, we found that no definite cause can be found in 17% of cases of nonimmune hydrops. Based on the results of our review, we present here a flow-chart aimed to provide guidance in diagnosing the cause of nonimmune hydrops, both if detected prenatally and postnatally (Fig. 1).