* Department of Gynecology, Felix Guyon Hospital, 97400 Saint- Denis, Ile de la Reunion, France; tel: 0262 90 55 22; fax : 0262 90 77 30;
** Diagnostic Medical Sonographer, Editor, Translator, Novato, California.
Case report
A 22-year-old patient, G3P2, was referred to our clinic at 24 weeks of gestational age after an hyperechoic foci had been seen in the fetal liver on ultrasound. Her 13th and 22nd week sonographic examinations were unremarkable. At 13 weeks of gestation the nuchal translucency was 1 mm and the triple test at 17 weeks was also normal.
The 24-week ultrasound evaluation was unremarkable except for an echogenic mass in the liver. Neither ascites nor hydrops were seen. The finding persisted during sonographic re-evaluation at 32, 34 and 36 weeks of gestation. The gallbladder appearance was normal. An hepatic MRI was done at 34 weeks of gestation, which was negative for hepatic pathology.
At 39 weeks GA, a female infant weighing 3200 g was born with Apgar scores of 10, 10, and 10.
There was no evidence of hematologic incompatibility, sepsis, or jaundice. All laboratory values including those for cystic fibrosis, hemoglobinopathy, and liver functions were normal. Viral serology was negative.
On the fifth day of life, ultrasound was performed, showing a gallbladder of normal size and the isolated liver calcification.
Images 1, 2: Transverse abdominal sections at 24 weeks demonstrating an echogenic mass within the liver.