The diagnosis and treatment of the nonimmune hydrops fetalis.

Abstract

Fetal hydrops is associated with two distinct pathophysiologic situations. The isoimmune hydrops fetalis is a well understood disorder, and as the result of medical advances and prophylactic therapy its frequency is diminishing. The nonimmune hydrops fetalis is a poorly understood disease with a bad prognosis. The two disorders can be differentiated with the indirect Coombs test. In both cases the ultrasound examination plays an important role in the diagnosis, prognosis and management. Examination of the fetal blood sample gives recently a possibility to approach the disease. In NIHF the examination of fetal blood sample would give a relatively quick and effective diagnosis but its value for the treatment is limited. Although with the present technology it is impossible to diagnose all cases of NIHF, the early recognizing, the careful and step by step investigation, the active perinatologic management mostly can show the etiology and can help the perinatal team at the treatment of the disease.