[Discovery of caput succedaneum after premature rupture of the membranes at 28 weeks gestation]

Abstract

Caput succedaneum often occurs at birth, especially in vaginal delivery. It is a cranial subcutaneous serohematic extravasation, with a good prognosis, and spontaneous regression is the rule within a few days. In the literature, it has been mainly described in the neonatal period. We report a case of caput succedaneum detected in utero by ultrasound after preterm premature rupture of membranes at 28 weeks. The in utero MRI showed a high signal intensity area on T2 weighted images, probably related to this etiology. Clinical examination at birth confirmed the diagnosis of caput succedaneum, which resolved in 3 days. Antenatal cranio-facial masses is suggestive of several diagnoses: cephalhematoma mainly, encephalocele, hemangioma, and subdural hematoma.