Incidental ultrasound finding of cholelithiasis in an 8-week-old infant: A case report

Infantile cholelithiasis is a rare occurrence. It is often diagnosed incidentally during ultrasonography for other conditions as most cases are asymptomatic and may be self-limiting. A few cases may however present with prolonged neonatal or infantile jaundice. We report our initial experience with an incidental case of infantile cholelithiasis in an 8-week-old male infant who was brought to our ultrasound unit in Accra, Ghana, for an abdominal ultrasound on account of conjugated hyperbilirubinemia and pigmented stools. The patient had presented initially at the children's emergency unit of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, 2 days after an uneventful delivery, with a history of yellowing of the eyes, noticed on the first day of life, which necessitated the request for the ultrasound examination, leading to this rare finding of infantile cholelithiasis. The availability and use of modern sonographic equipment are likely to result in more effective detection of this incidental finding and its subsequent management.

Echogenic Content in the Fetal Gallbladder: Systematic Review of Ultrasound Features and Clinical Outcome

It is rare to detect echogenic content in the fetal gallbladder. The etiology, natural course, and prognosis of this condition remain unclear. In addition to providing a systematic review of this topic, we suggest a plan for patient follow-up. From a total of 100 database entries identified in PubMed, EMBASE, and ICTRP reviews, we selected 34 studies in which we investigated the ultrasound features and outcome of this condition. There were 226 fetuses with gallbladder echogenic content identified. Seventy-two fetuses were found to have biliary sludge; thirty cases had a single hyperechogenic focus, and one hundred fetuses had multiple foci in the gallbladder. There were 16 cases of distal shadowing, 37 fetuses with comet tail and twinkling, and 26 cases with no acoustic artifacts. Nine cases of spontaneous resolution before birth have been documented; nine fetuses exhibited no echogenic content at birth, and 138 cases of resolution of echogenic content within the first year of life have been described. Typically, the condition resolves spontaneously during the postnatal period. After adequately reassuring the parents, the patients should be monitored for spontaneous resolution; medical or surgical intervention is not indicated. Asymptomatic patients can be managed with a wait-and-see strategy.

The natural history of fetal gallstones: a case series and updated literature review

INTRODUCTION

The incidence of fetal gallstones is estimated at 0.45% and its clinical relevance after birth remains unknown. This study aimed to describe the natural history of fetal gallstones and their clinical sequelae after birth.

METHODS

We queried a database of fetuses referred for second and third trimester sonograms performed for high-risk pregnancies, and identified cases with fetal gallstones (1996-2019). Demographics, prenatal/postnatal imaging findings, and clinical sequelae were collected. A literature review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines.

RESULTS

We screened approximately 200,000 obstetric sonograms; 34 fetuses were found to have cholelithiasis. The median gestational age at the time of sonogram was 35 weeks (range 22-38). Fifty-six percent were female and 11.8% were twin pregnancies with one affected fetus. Median maternal age was 28 years (range 17-42). Eight fetuses underwent postnatal imaging and 4 had persistent cholelithiasis. There was one case of in utero demise. Two patients had structural anomalies (renal and cardiac) by sonogram. A subset of 17 patients was followed long-term (range 3-20 years), and none developed clinical sequelae from cholelithiasis.

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS

No child developed postnatal clinical sequelae related to cholelithiasis identified in utero. Fetal cholelithiasis can be managed expectantly without follow-up imaging in asymptomatic patients.

Fetal Gallstones in a Newborn after Maternal COVID-19 Infection

Fetal gallstones are rare incidental findings on ultrasound during pregnancy. We describe a newborn girl with gallstones that was born to a mother who had COVID-19 infection during her last trimester. The baby remained asymptomatic, and the stones resolved spontaneously without any treatment or complications within six weeks of birth. Several conditions predispose to fetal gallstones, and it is unclear if the recent maternal COVID-19 infection had any role in the occurrence of these abnormalities or was merely coincidental. This is the first case describing an association of fetal gallstones with a COVID-19 infection in pregnancy.

Echogenic material in the fetal gallbladder: prevalence, sonographic spectrum, and perinatal outcome in an unselected third-trimester population

Objective: To determine the prevalence, sonographic spectrum, and clinical significance of echogenic material in the fetal gallbladder in our population.Methods: Sonographic visualization of the fetal gallbladder was attempted in 3894 consecutive third-trimester pregnancies (4026 fetuses). Gallbladder content was classified as clear (anechoic), containing echogenic material that was either diffuse (sludge), or presenting as a single focus or multiple foci (gallstone(s)). Information on the clinical course was obtained by reviewing the medical records or contacting the provider or the parents themselves.Results: During the three and a half-year study period from July 2014 to December 2017, 19 fetuses were identified as having echogenic material in the gallbladder (prevalence 1/211, 0.47%). Among them, echogenic biliary sludge was found in eight fetuses (42%); all eight were asymptomatic and a normal gallbladder was documented postnatally in four of them. Single (n = 3) or multiple (n = 8) echogenic foci were found in 58% of cases, which was associated with a good prognosis and subsequent resolution between 1 and 10 months of life in all cases.Conclusions: The prevalence of echogenic material in the fetal gallbladder in our population was similar to that previously reported in the literature. The prognosis appears to be favorable, with resolution and without subsequent postnatal hepatic or gastrointestinal complications in all cases.

Antenatal diagnosis of fetal cholelithiasis

Fetal cholelithiasis is extremely rare and there are few reported cases in the literature. Most cases are thought to develop in late pregnancy and while some may be identified during a third trimester scan, others will remain undetected. Although cholelithiasis is not a life-threatening condition, other more serious pathologies must be excluded first. We describe an example of cholelithiasis in a male fetus in the third trimester. Ultrasound appearances, differential diagnoses and postnatal outcome are discussed.