Hydrops fetalis: Report of 105 cases of prenatal

The terminology of hydrops fetalis was introduced by English physician, Ballantyne, in 1892, as generalized subcutaneous edema accompanied by at least one interserosal fluid. Fifty years later, the well known pathologist, Edith L. Potter divided this complex into immune and nonimmune categories. The immune hydrops fetalis comprised quite a number of prenatal mortalities until 1970, when the anti-Rh antigen immune globulin (RhoGAM) was used as a preventive factor, it caused significant decrease of the Immune hydrops fetalis. Nowadays nonimmune hydrops fetalis comprises more than 90 percent of hydrops fetalis cases. Identifying the etiology and prevention of this group is very difficult and time consuming. Among the 1402 prenatal postmortem examinations performed from July 1980 – Oct 2009 in our center, one hundred and ten cases were associated with hydrops fetalis. The largest group are 14 cases of chromosomal aberration including 7 Turner, 4 Down and 3 cases of different aberration followed by 13 cases of cardiac failure, nine cases of abnormality and 4 cases of functional disturbance, the next category consists 8 cases of multiple congenital malformation. Intrauterine infection and urinary tract malformation with 7 cases of each occupied the next group. 5 cases belong to metabolic disease diaphragmatic Hernia and the anemia in 4 cases is the next group, 2 cases belong to GI malformation with one case is in the last position. There are 12 cases of multiple congenital abnormalities. In 31 (29/5%) cases due to the lack of clinical information and paucity of medical documents, which are the most important clue in identifying the etiology of HF, we were unable to clear up the cause of HF. In 12 cases of all those of unknown etiology the body was completely macerated, and unsuitable for gross and histological examination.