Clinical follow-up of prenatally diagnosed isolated ventriculomegaly, microcephaly and encephalocele.

Abstract

This retrospective review identified all cases of isolated ventriculomegaly (without spina bifida), encephalocele and microcephaly in approximately 22,000 consecutive patients through the Ultrasound Department at the University of British Columbia, Grace Hospital. 17 cases of isolated ventriculomegaly, 16 cases of microcephaly and 6 cases of encephalocele were identified. Isolated ventriculomegaly and encephalocele were accurately diagnosed prenatally while microcephaly was not consistently identified prenatally. Patients with isolated ventriculomegaly had a positive family history for cranial abnormalities in 24%. The prognosis is difficult to predict for fetuses with ventriculomegaly, but severe ventriculomegaly generally produced a poor outcome while mild or moderate ventriculomegaly resulted in normal development or marginal developmental delay. Chromosome analysis is recommended in all patients with central nervous system lesions and viral studies are recommended with ventriculomegaly and microcephaly.