Hyperechogenic fetal bowel: Current evidence‐based prenatal diagnosis and management

Abstract

Echogenic fetal bowel (EB) is a prenatal ultrasound finding (0.2%–1.4% of all pregnancies) defined as bowel of similar or greater echogenicity than surrounding bone. In fact, the ultrasound assessment is strongly subjective with inter‐observer variability. The pathophysiology depends on the underlying condition, apparently related with meconium stasis and hypercellularity. It is often an isolated finding, with possible association with other structural anomalies. About the origin, it was observed in fetuses with cystic fibrosis, congenital infections, thalassemia, intraamniotic bleeding, fetal growth restriction. Fetuses with EB are at increased risk of adverse perinatal outcome, such as intrauterine growth restriction, placental dysfunction and perinatal death, highlighting the need for a thorough antenatal management and post‐natal follow‐up. It seems to be associated with a plenty of conditions, such as a poor fetal outcome, fetal growth restriction and placental dysfunction. Therefore management requires a multidisciplinary approach with different specialties' involvement and the prognosis is influenced by the underlying pathophysiology. In this complex scenario, the present review aims to define the clinical pathway which should be offered to pregnant women in case of finding of fetal EB ultrasound marker, to rule out any suspected pathological cause.

Prenatal Features of MIRAGE Syndrome—Case Report and Review of the Literature

“…Hyperechogenic bowel is a subjective assessment of the echogenicity of the fetal bowel on ultrasound and is another common finding in prenatal medicine. It may be a sign of intrauterine enteropathy as it probably is in the case presented here; however, it is a non-specific sign, apparent in other many fetal conditions [ 26 ]. In fetuses with FGR of placental insufficiency, hyperechogenic bowel is a marker of mesenteric ischemia.…”