Perinatal outcome after ultrasound prenatal diagnosis of persistent right umbilical vein

Abstract

Objective: Our aim was to describe ultrasound findings and perinatal outcome after prenatal diagnosis of persistent right umbilical vein (PRUV).

Study design: We performed a retrospective analysis of fetuses with an ultrasound-based prenatal diagnosis of PRUV on record at 2 tertiary centers in Madrid, Spain. We describe clinical, maternal, fetal and perinatal variables for all cases.

Results: A total of 20,426 fetuses were delivered between the study centers. We detected 22 cases (0.1%) of PRUV. The male-to-female ratio was 1:1. All cases were intrahepatic type and diagnosed during the second and third trimesters (median, 21 weeks; IQR, 20-29 weeks). Doppler ultrasound revealed normal flow in the ductus venosus in all cases. Nine fetuses (40.9%) had additional ultrasound anomalies but no chromosomal abnormalities. Cardiovascular malformations were the most frequently associated congenital anomalies (4/9), followed by neurological malformations (2/9). In 5 of the cases with no concomitant anomalies, the weight of the newborn was below the tenth percentile for gestational age. Gestational development was normal for the remaining newborns. Delivery was unremarkable, and post-natal evolution was favorable.

Conclusion: Our results point to a potential association between PRUV and other fetal malformations and a very low rate of chromosomal abnormalities. Prenatal diagnosis of PRUV should be followed by detailed anatomical evaluation and echocardiography in order to rule out other structural malformations. The indication for a fetal karyotype study must be made on an individual basis considering PRUV type and other ultrasound findings.