Human parvovirus B19 (B19) infection during pregnancy is associated with the adverse foetal outcome known as non-immune hydrops fetalis (NIHF). Although B19 is known to infect erythroid-lineage cells in vivo as well as in vitro, the mechanism leading to the occurrence of NIHF is not clear. To investigate the possible involvement of the B19 non-structural protein NS1 in NIHF, three independent l...

BACKGROUND Chorioangiomas are the most common benign tumors of the placenta originating from primitive angioblastic tissues. It comprises near 1 percent of placental tumors. Clinical manifestations in the newborn are rare and usually associated with tumors greater than 5 cm in diameter and consist of polyhydramnios, fetal anemia, massive edema with pleural effusion, ascites and intrauterine gro...

Fetal heart failure and hydrops fetalis may occur due to systemic arteriovenous fistula because of increased cardiac output. Arteriovenous fistula of the central nervous system, liver, bone or vascular tumors such as sacrococcygeal teratoma were previously reported to be causes of intrauterine heart failure. However, coronary arteriovenous fistula was not reported as a cause of fetal heart fail...

BACKGROUND Prior reported cases of stillbirth and neonates infected with enteroviruses suggest transplacental infection. We present a case of fetal infection with coxsackievirus B3, diagnosed antenatally and resulting in live birth. CASE A pregnant woman presented at 26 weeks with fetal tachycardia and non-immune hydrops fetalis. Coxsackievirus B3 was cultured from amniotic fluid. Maternal an...

INTRODUCTION We report the fi rst successful preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) for Hb Bart's hydrops fetalis in Singapore, involving both fresh and frozen embryo replacement cycles. CLINICAL PICTURE Two couples who were carriers of the Southeast Asian type double gene deletion (--(SEA) deletion carriers) requested for PGD. Couple A had 2 previous affected pregnancies, while couple B hav...

Glycogen storage disease type IV (GSD-IV) is an autosomal recessive disease caused by a deficiency in glycogen-branching enzyme (GBE1) activity that results in the accumulation of amylopectin-like polysaccharide, which presumably leads to osmotic swelling and cell death. This disease is extremely heterogeneous in terms of tissue involvement, age of onset and clinical manifestation. The most sev...

PURPOSE To identify the etiology of nonimmune hydrops fetalis cases in pregnant women diagnosed and referred for prenatal care. METHODS Retrospective analysis of cases with nonimmune hydrops fetalis that were monitored between March 1992 and December 2011. Diagnosis was confirmed by the presence of fetal subcutaneous edema (≥ 5 mm) with effusion in at least one serous cavity using obstetric u...