LETTERS

Neurological outcome following isolated 10–12 mm fetal ventriculomegaly

K Melchiorre¹, M Liberati¹, C Celentano¹, S Domizio², C Puglielli², S Buoni³, M Strambi³, R Zannolli³

¹ Section of Obstetric and Gynecology, Department of Medicine and Aging, Nuovo Policlinico, University "G. D’Annunzio", Medical School, University of Chieti, Chieti, Italy
² Section of Neonatology, Department of Medicine and Aging, Nuovo Policlinico, University "G. d’Annunzio", Medical School, University of Chieti, Chieti, Italy
³ Policlinico Le Scotte, Department of Pediatrics, University of Siena, Siena, Italy

Correspondence to:
Dr Raffaella Zannolli, Department of Pediatrics, Policlinico Le Scotte, University of Siena, Siena, Italy; zannolli@unisi.it

Accepted 21 December 2008

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The outcome of non-progressive, isolated fetal ventriculomegaly is uncertain. The normal width of the atrium of the lateral ventricle is less than or equal to 9 mm.¹ Severe ventriculomegaly (or hydrocephalus) is defined as widths greater than 15 mm. Mild values of 10–15 mm confer an increased risk for aneuploidy, malformations and impaired postnatal neurological outcome, although the frequency of the association is variable.^2–4 However, the outcome of fetal non-progressive isolated forms of lateral ventriculomegaly with atrial widths between 10 and 12 mm has been little studied. It is, therefore, difficult to provide appropriate counselling in such cases. A recent series⁵ suggested that outcomes in patients with non-progressive isolated mild ventriculomegaly with atrial widths between 10 and 12 mm were essentially the same as in controls.

A later recent series⁶ suggested that the presence of mild ventriculomegaly does not necessarily correlate with good outcome, irrespective of the degree of the . . . [Full text of this article]

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