Diagnostic and Treatment Options for Fetal Ventriculomegaly
Author Information
Author(s): Mateusz Zamłyński, Marta Grokhovska, Andrea Surányi, Anita Olejek
Primary Institution: Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
Hypothesis
Advances in the diagnostic process allow the identification of ‘probably’ isolated forms of severe ventriculomegaly.
Conclusion
Perinatal centers are now capable of performing decompression procedures for isolated severe ventriculomegaly, with endoscopic ventriculostomy showing promising results.
Supporting Evidence
- Fetal ventriculomegaly is diagnosed in utero with a prevalence of 1–2 in 1000 births.
- Endoscopic ventriculostomy appears to be associated with minimal perinatal complications.
- Long-term follow-up is needed to assess neurodevelopmental outcomes in children who underwent prenatal decompression.
Takeaway
Fetal ventriculomegaly is when the brain's ventricles are too big, and doctors are learning better ways to check and treat it before the baby is born.
Methodology
The review authors electronically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library databases to describe the evidence-based validity and options for prenatal decompression.
Limitations
Long-term follow-up results for neurodevelopment in patients who underwent endoscopic ventriculostomy have not been reported.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p < 0.001
Confidence Interval
CI 0.92–0.99
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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