Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical outcome of fetal pericardial effusion (PE).
Methods: This study involved a retrospective review of prenatally diagnosed PE cases. The criterion for inclusion was pericardial fluid in an area greater than 2 mm in diameter.
Results: A total of 276 cases of PE and 252 cases diagnosed with other anomalies were initially reviewed. PE is associated with cardiac malformation, hydrops fetalis, extracardiac abnormalities, infections, anemias, intrauterine growth restriction, and aneuploidy markers in fetuses. Of these reviewed cases, 24 cases of isolated fetal PE were studied. In all cases, pericardial fluid filled an area ranging from 2 to 17 mm in diameter. Four cases of isolated PE had an abnormal postnatal condition, and 3 cases were excluded due to lack of follow-up. The size of the PE was not related to the regression of pericardial fluid, adverse outcomes or mortality rate associated with the isolated PE. All newborns were healthy, and there were no chromosomal abnormalities in the study population.
Conclusions: There were no adverse clinical outcomes or chromosomal abnormalities in the fetuses diagnosed with isolated PE. Most cases of isolated PE resolved spontaneously and were associated with a good prognosis.