Introduction Perinatal/paediatric pathology is a medical subspecialty with particular expertise in diseases affecting the placenta, fetus, infant and child. In the United Kingdom, paediatric pathology has evolved rapidly over recent decades from a small area of practice for general histopathologists,…
Introduction Over the last ten years, the interest of radiologists and obstetricians in imaging the unborn child by means of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has grown significantly, not least facilitated by accelerated technical developments, especially in terms of fast imaging…
Introduction to Fetal Tumours Fetal tumours are fortunately rare. They can be associated with serious illness or even death in the fetal or neonatal period and the prenatal diagnosis of fetal tumours may have significant implications on the well-being of…
Red Cell Disorders Causes of Fetal Anaemia Rhesus D Alloimmunization Rhesus D (RhD) alloimmunization is the major cause of haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN). Over the past 40 years, the incidence of HDFN has fallen dramatically due…
Introduction Abnormalities of the urinary tract are relatively common, accounting for approximately 20% of all fetal malformations. The exact incidence of prenatally detected urinary tract anomalies is difficult to determine and varies from centre to centre and with the timing…
Introduction Congenital anomalies of the gastrointestinal tract, (including those of the anterior abdominal wall) account for approximately 15% of congenital abnormalities detected by routine prenatal ultrasound. The prenatal detection rates from routine ‘screening ultrasound’ either in the first trimester (usually…
Introduction Abnormalities of the fetal limbs rank as the third most common after those of the cardiac and renal systems according to EUROCAT data (1980–2010). The most common limb abnormalities amenable to prenatal diagnosis are: club foot/talipes (9.5 in 10,000…
Ultrasound of the Normal and Abnormal Fetal Lungs The fetal lungs are well-visualized either in the axial planes at the level of the four-chamber view ( Figure 15-1A ), the three-vessel view ( Figure 15-1B ), the upper abdomen transition…
Introduction Cardiac abnormalities are among the most common birth defects and are the leading cause of death in children from congenital defects. They occur in about 8–11 cases per 1000 livebirths but only 3 per 1000 are major cardiac abnormalities…
Introduction The face is the focus of social interaction, and therefore facial abnormalities have a significant impact both in psychological and emotional terms. Facial abnormalities are often associated with other anomalies and may be a clue to the detection of…