EP12.24: Fetal abdominal cystic masses: three-year experience of a tertiary centre

The aims of this study were to evaluate the outcome of the cases over the last three years in our centre and to investigate the capability of the prenatal sonographic examination to establish the correct diagnosis of the fetal intra-abdominal cystic masses. We performed a retrospective three-year analysis and reviewed the cases with cystic abdominal pathology from our centre. The main characteristics of the intra-abdominal masses were evaluated, and the concordance with the perinatal follow-up. In the first trimester (FT) three cases of megacystis were diagnosed and one abdominal cyst was noted but not confirmed at the sonographic and neonatal follow-up. 21 cases of intra-abdominal cystic were diagnosed mass in the second (ST) and third trimesters (TT) of pregnancy, at a mean gestational age of 25 weeks: 13 ovarian cysts, 2 mesenteric cysts, 3 multicystic dysplastic kidneys, one urogenital sinus anomaly and 2 intestinal obstructions (duodenal atresia and intestinal duplication cyst). All the ovarian cysts were unilateral, and 7 of them were homogenous. In 5 ovarian cysts spontaneous resolution was noted in the TT. Termination of pregnancy was performed in the FT megacystis cases and 3 ST cases. Postnatally, surgery was performed in 3 cases: one ovarian torsion, one intestinal obstruction and one mesenteric cyst. There were no intrauterine or neonatal deaths. The sonographic diagnosis was correctly established in 17 of the 19 cases and chromosomal abnormalities were detected in one case. In most cases the nature of the intra-abdominal cystic mass can be established antepartum, and the most prevalent is the ovarian cyst. Although the outcome is generally good, this is strongly influenced by the etiology of the cyst.