Hydrops Fetalis

  • Etiology: Prenatal form of cardiac failure
    — Immune hydrops due to to fetomaternal blood group incompatibility
    — Non-immune hydrops due to multiple causes
  • Imaging:
    — Accumulation of serous fluid in two or more fetal body cavities (ascites, pleural effusion, pericardial effusion, skin edema)
    — Bell-shaped chest at birth
  • DDX:
  • Complications:
  • Treatment:
  • Clinical:

Radiology Cases of Hydrops Fetalis

CXR of hydrops fetalis
CXR AP shows low lung volumes, large bilateral pleural effusions, and extensive body wall edema.
CXR of chest tube in the subcutaneous tissues.
CXR AP shows body wall thickening. The tip of the left chest tube is in the left pleural space and there is a small left pleural effusion. The tip of the right chest tube is in the right subcutaneous tissues. There is a small right pleural effusion