Fetal abdominal cysts are usually detected during the second trimester anomaly scan or discovered incidentally at later gestations. However, a definitive diagnosis is often not made until postnatal life. The most common etiologies of fetal abdominal cysts are: ovarian, gastrointestinal cystic duplication, liver and choledochal, meconium pseudocysts, mesenteric and adrenal. Following identification of a cyst, careful morphological assessment allows the prediction of their natural history and importantly, the likelihood of surgical intervention being required postnatally.
Comment:
Fetal ultrasound cannot always distinguish the origin of a cystic lesion in the abdominal region.