Download PDF
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Journal of Fetal Medicine 2024; 11(03): 188-192
DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1791489
Case Series

Diagnostic Dilemmas in Fetal Scalp Cystic Lesions: A Case Series

Omkar Potdar
1   Department of Fetal Medicine, Ansh Fetal Medicine Centre, Sangli, Maharashtra, India
,
Indrani Suresh
2   Department of Fetal Medicine, Mediscan Systems, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
,
Vijayalakshmi Raja
2   Department of Fetal Medicine, Mediscan Systems, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
,
Sakshi Yadav
3   Department of Clinical Genetics and Fetal Medicine, Faith Diagnostic and Fetal Centre, Mohali, Punjab, India
› Author Affiliations
› Further Information
Also available at
   Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

Fetal Scalp cystic lesions are occasionally encountered during the routine mid trimester scan. Some may be benign scalp cysts like an epidermal or dermal cyst, and some may contain neural tissue with associated calvarial defects like meningocele or encephalocele. Prenatally, differentiating them and arriving at an exact diagnosis is challenging. This case study describes seven cases diagnosed with fetal scalp cysts and normal intracranial anatomy. Seven cases with normal intracranial anatomy were included. Out of seven cases, four turned out to be scalp cysts, two turned out to be meningocele, and one was atretic encephalocele. Of four cases of scalp cysts, three regressed spontaneously and one required surgical excision. All instances of meningocele and encephalocele required surgical correction. In the case of fetal scalp cystic lesions, the presence of normal intracranial anatomy and head circumference, the absence of other associated anomalies, and the use of high frequency ultrasound transducers to rule out calvarial defects can aid in delineating the diagnosis of benign fetal scalp cysts.

Keywords

calvarial defect - fetal scalp cyst - meningocele - ultrasound technique - three dimensional ultrasound

Authors' Contributions

O.P. and S.Y. have contributed substantially to acquiring data and drafting the manuscript. I.S. and V.R. revised it critically and gave the final approval for the version to be published.




Publication History

Article published online:
03 October 2024

© 2024. Society of Fetal Medicine. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
A-12, 2nd Floor, Sector 2, Noida-201301 UP, India