Fetal intra‐abdominal calcifications from meconium peritonitis: sonographic predictors of postnatal surgery

Abstract

To study the relationship between prenatal ultrasound features and postnatal course of meconium peritonitis. We reviewed our cohort of cases of meconium peritonitis (MP) (n = 13/37, 225 pregnancies or 0.3/1000) as well as those published in the English literature with prenatal ultrasonographic findings and postnatal follow‐up (n = 56). The total number of cases (n = 69) was divided into 4 grades of progressive severity based on the number of pertinent sonographic findings: grade 0, isolated intra‐abdominal calcifications (n = 18); grade 1, intra‐abdominal calcifications and ascites (n = 17) or pseudocyst (n = 2) or bowel dilatation (n = 6); grade 2, two associated findings (n = 20); and grade 3, all sonographic features (n = 6). Presence of polyhydramnios was also recorded. Prenatal predictors of need for neonatal surgery and risk of neonatal death were identified using Chi‐square and Fisher exact test, with P < 0.05 considered significant. Neonatal surgical intervention was required in 0% (0/18) of newborns with grade 0 MP; in 52% (13/25) of those with grade 1; in 80% (16/20) with grade 2; and in 100% (6/6) with grade 3 MP (P < 0.001, Chi‐square for trend). Moreover, neonatal surgery was more frequent in the presence than absence of polyhydramnios [69% (18/26) vs 37% (16/43); P = 0.007]. Neonatal mortality was 6% (4/69; 3 after surgery and 1 for premature delivery) and it was confined to the subgroup with polyhydramnios (4/26, 15%). Prenatal sonographic features are related to postnatal outcome. Persistently isolated intra‐abdominal calcifications have an excellent outcome. Delivery in a tertiary care center is recommended when calcifications are associated with other sonographic findings. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.