Sonographic detection of fetal urinary-tract anomalies.

The diagnosis of urinary-tract anomalies in the fetus can frequently be made with antenatal ultrasound imaging. This report details 19 cases of fetal urinary-tract malformation diagnosed during a 30-month period. Early onset and more complete urinary-tract obstruction, oligohydramnios, renal dysplasia, and pulmonary hypoplasia occur frequently in cases where urinary-tract anomalies were detected in utero. The frequent association of other major structural anomalies, severe renal damage, and irreversible pulmonary hypoplasia make imperative an intensive evaluation of the fetus before considering invasive surgical procedures.