Review Article
Revisiting Ultrasound of Fetal Abdominal Cysts; the Common, the Uncommon and the Rare
A Pictorial Review
Bhumika Singh MBBS, MD, Durr E. Sabih MBBS, FRCP,
Bronshtein Moshe MD,
Azer Ferec MD, Dong Nguyen MD, Lilit Hovsepyan MD, Yaron Zalel MD,
Corresponding Author
Durr E. Sabih MBBS, FRCP
Multan Ultrasound Service, Multan, Pakistan
Address correspondence to Durr E. Sabih, Multan Ultrasound Service, Multan, Pakistan.
E-mail: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorBronshtein Moshe MD
Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
Search for more papers by this authorBhumika Singh MBBS, MD, Durr E. Sabih MBBS, FRCP,
Bronshtein Moshe MD,
Azer Ferec MD, Dong Nguyen MD, Lilit Hovsepyan MD, Yaron Zalel MD,
Corresponding Author
Durr E. Sabih MBBS, FRCP
Multan Ultrasound Service, Multan, Pakistan
Address correspondence to Durr E. Sabih, Multan Ultrasound Service, Multan, Pakistan.
E-mail: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorBronshtein Moshe MD
Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
Search for more papers by this authorFirst published: 19 March 2025
Figure 13 contributed by Dr. His-Cho Lai, Taichung, Taiwan. The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Abstract
Fetal abdominal cysts are rare. The significance of antenatally discovered abdominal cysts can range from an innocuous finding to serious conditions needing surgery. It is often difficult to arrive at a correct diagnosis based on ultrasonography, as different types of cysts can have similar appearances. A more specific diagnosis is possible if fetal sex, age at appearance, location of the cyst, shape and appearance of the walls, and contents are considered. This review presents an extensive spectrum of fetal abdominal cysts. The common as well as the very rare causes that have only a few reports are discussed. Ultrasound images of confirmed cases are also presented. An algorithmic approach that enables a more specific diagnosis in many cases has been developed.
Open Research
Data Availability Statement
Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analyzed in this study.
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