Choroid plexus cysts are pseudocysts filled with cerebrospinal fluid that appear in the choroid plexus and occur in most fetuses during pregnancy, but most shrink quickly and are not detected on examination.
Choroid plexus cysts are detected on ultrasound at 14-24 weeks of gestation in 1% to 2% of fetuses, and in more than 90% of these cases, the choroid plexus cysts disappear by 28 weeks, but in a small number of cases, the cysts not only don't disappear, but also enlarge progressively, persisting into childhood to obstruct the cerebrospinal fluid and cause acute hydrocephalus in the child.
Manifestations of choroid plexus cystsChoroid plexus cysts are mainly detected by ultrasonography.
The typical ultrasound presentation is: a well-defined round or oval echogenic area within the choroid plexus. The diagnosis of fetal choroid plexus cysts can be made in mid-pregnancy when a cross-section of the fetal head reveals an anterior or posterior horn of the lateral ventricle and a well-defined echogenic area ≥2 mm in diameter in the choroid plexus.
Other structural anomalies:
① Isolated choroid plexus cysts: no other structural anomalies are detected on the ultrasound sonogram except for the choroid plexus cysts;
② Complex choroid plexus cysts: other structural anomalies (such as cardiac malformations) are present on the ultrasound sonogram in addition to the choroid plexus cysts.
Complex choroid plexus cysts.)
The fetal choroid plexus is formed in the seventh week of gestation and is an important site for the production of cerebrospinal fluid.
Between 10 and 16 weeks of gestation, the choroidal villi grow rapidly and occupy most of the lateral ventricles, and some of the cerebrospinal fluid can be encapsulated within the loose choroidal villi to form a cyst-like structure, the choroidal plexus cyst (CPC).
Between 19 and 28 weeks of gestation, the loose structures in the choroid plexus are gradually replaced by dense connective tissue, so most choroid plexus cysts disappear by 28 weeks. However, there are a few cysts that do not go away and can grow progressively in size, adversely affecting the baby after birth.
Effects of choroid plexus cystsNormally, fetal choroid plexus cysts disappear on their own by 28 weeks, and there is no need to worry about this condition.
If the cyst has not disappeared after 28 weeks, and the cyst is bilateral, be careful, this may be related to fetal chromosomal abnormalities, it is likely to suffer from trisomy 18-trisomy, trisomy 21, such a fetus will be born with mental retardation or other deformities. Therefore, doctors usually recommend pregnant women to do amniocentesis or cord blood puncture examination to further confirm the diagnosis, the child should also be born after the cranial brain examination and umbilical cord blood cells of chromosomal examination.
Fetal choroid plexus cystsGenerally speaking, simple isolated choroid plexus cysts do not require special treatment, and gradually the "cysts" will disappear, every 2-3 weeks to review the ultrasound, and dynamically observe the changes in the cysts until the delivery. In childhood, follow-up visits are necessary to monitor the neurological development of the cyst. The prognosis for simple choroidal cysts is good, and they are absorbed slowly after the baby is born.
If the fetus is a complex choroid plexus cyst, not only will there be chromosomal disorders, but there may also be other malformations, such as cardiac malformations, neurologic malformations, facial malformations, and hand malformations, all of which will require amniocentesis or umbilical cord blood puncture to line up the abnormalities, and then a prognostic plan will be developed based on the results. If an abnormality is diagnosed, the woman is usually advised to terminate the pregnancy.