Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2025 Jun 25.
doi: 10.1007/s00247-025-06307-1. Online ahead of print.

Masses of the fetal neck and oral cavity

Affiliations
Review

Masses of the fetal neck and oral cavity

Morgan N McLuckey et al. Pediatr Radiol. .

Abstract

Congenital neck and oral cavity masses encompass a range of pathologies including vascular anomalies, soft tissue tumors, cysts, and lesions of thyroid origin. While overall rare, they may result in significant morbidity and mortality. Advances in both prenatal imaging and surgical care have substantially improved outcomes for these patients. In this paper, we will review the imaging techniques used in evaluation of fetal neck and oral cavity masses, discuss the role of imaging in assisting the fetal care team in management decisions, and explore a variety of neck and oral cavity masses with focus on their imaging features in the fetus.

Keywords: Fetus; Magnetic resonance imaging; Neck masses; Prenatal diagnosis; Teratoma; Vascular malformations.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Conflicts of interest: None

Similar articles

References

    1. Hubbard A, Crombleholme T, Adzick N (1998) Prenatal MRI evaluation of giant neck masses in preparation for the fetal EXIT procedure. Amer J Perinatol 15:253–257 - DOI
    1. Ng TW, Xi Y, Schindel D et al (2019) Fetal head and neck masses: MRI prediction of significant morbidity. AJR Am J Roentgenol 212:215–221 - PubMed - DOI
    1. Skarsgard ED, Chitkara U, Krane EJ et al (1996) The OOPS procedure (operation on placental support): in utero airway management of the fetus with prenatally diagnosed tracheal obstruction. J Pediatr Surg 31:826–828 - PubMed - DOI
    1. Hirose S, Harrison MR (2003) The ex utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT) procedure. Semin Fetal Neonatal Med 8:207–214 - DOI
    1. Marwan A, Crombleholme TM (2006) The EXIT procedure: principles, pitfalls, and progress. Semin Pediatr Surg 15:107–115 - PubMed - DOI

LinkOut - more resources