Leeds Fetal Medicine Unit Website

Fetal Ascites

Definition	Fluid in the fetal abdominal cavity
Incidence	Dependent on cause
Diagnosis	Ultrasound measurement of fluid >???What mm
Gestation at diagnosis	Dependent on cause
Known cause, chromosomal or genetic association	May be caused by any structure rupturing within the fetal abdomen (e.g.bowel, bladder, ovary) or fetal hydrops (immune and non-immune)
Further investigations	TORCH screen and karyotype
Differential Diaganosis	Normal pseudoascites Lymphangiomas or other multiple abdominal cysts
Prognosis	Dependent on cause
Recurrance risk	Dependent on cause
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