Skin dimpling as a complication of amniocentesis: histopathologic findings.

During pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum, a series of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures are currently performed which have led to reduced neonatal morbidity and mortality but which have also increased the risk of certain iatrogenic cutaneous and traumatic injuries. The incidence of fetal puncture due to amniocentesis has declined since the introduction of ultrasound guidance; however, increasing maternal age has led to more frequent use of amniocentesis, thus making awareness of fetal puncture a matter of importance for dermatologists, obstetricians, and pediatricians. This letter describes the case of a 3-month-old infant who presented several skin dimples as a result of amniocentesisrelated puncture. A search of the literature found no other cases of this entity in which a histopathologic study had been performed. A male infant aged 3 months with no relevant medical history presented for assessment of a number of skin lesions on the abdomen and left thigh which were first noticed during the first month of life. The infant had no congenital abnormalities and had been born following a full-term pregnancy by unassisted vaginal delivery in cephalic presentation. One of the techniques performed on the mother during gestation and delivery was an amniocentesis in the 18th week which required several punctures. A physical examination revealed 2 dimples measuring 2 mm in diameter on the left side of the abdomen and a linear depression 1.2 cm long on the anterior aspect of the proximal third of the left thigh (Figs. 1 and 2). The patient did not present any other skin lesions, involvement of the oral or genital mucosae, or abnormalities of the hair or nails. The infant’s weight and height were normal. A diagnosis of skin dimpling as a complication of amniocentesis was established. The parents were informed of the benign nature of the skin condition, although they decided to request a biopsy of the thigh lesion so as to rule out other pathologies. The histopathologic study revealed a dermis