Journal of Clinical and Experimental Investigations

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the prenatal and postnatal follow up, treatment and the outcome of the patients with ven­triculomegaly.
Methods: Patients with lateral cerebral ventricle size 10mm and higher were included. 69 patients were con­sidered but 8 patients refused to join our study. The pa­tients were divided into two groups as they had additional anomalies (combined ventriculomegaly) or not (isolated ventriculomegaly). Each group was divided into three subgroups according to their lateral cerebral ventricle size as mild (10-12 mm), moderate (12.1-4.9 mm), severe (15 mm and more) ventriculomegaly.
Results: 10 fetuses with isolated ventriculomegaly and combined ventriculomegaly died after birth. Neurosurgi­cal operations were performed for ten patients. We per­formed chromosomal analysis for 16.7% of our patients. Caesarian delivery was higher (91.7%) in combined ven­triculomegaly groups and all newborns went to NNICU. In isolated ventriculomegaly group 18 patients showed nor­mal neurological development at sixth month. None of the patients with combined ventriculomegaly group showed normal neurological development at sixth month. In se­vere ventriculomegaly group termination ratio was higher (64.7%) than isolated ventriculomegaly group (11%). The survival rate was 90% in mild ventriculomegaly group and 42.9% in severe ventriculomegaly group.
Conclusion: Termination is more often in isolated severe ventriculomegaly than mild and moderate ventriculomeg­aly group because the prognosis is worse. Because the prognosis of the patients with mild ventriculomegaly is good decision for termination will be well evaluated with the family.