Congenital diaphragmatic hernia: can prenatal ultrasonography predict outcome?

OBJECTIVE

We wanted to establish whether prenatal ultrasonography predicts postnatal outcome in congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

STUDY DESIGN

We designed a retrospective multicenter cohort study of 135 patients with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (122 left, 10 right, 2 bilateral, 1 anterior). In isolated left congenital diaphragmatic hernia five potential prenatal prognostic factors were studied: diagnosis at < or = 25 weeks' gestation, polyhydramnios, intrathoracic stomach, small abdomen, and major mediastinal shift.

RESULTS

None of the 44 fetuses or infants who had multiple malformations survived. Of the 91 cases of isolated congenital diaphragmatic hernia, there were 82 live births; 76 of these infants had a left congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Of these, 51 (67%) died postnatally. A statistically significant relation was found between mortality and polyhydramnios, intrathoracic stomach, and major mediastinal shift. Mortality increased as a function of the number of these prognostic factors from 20% when none was present to 94% when all three were present.

CONCLUSION

In the majority of cases of isolated left congenital diaphragmatic hernia the prognostic value of fetal ultrasonography is too low to alter perinatal management.