Prenatal diagnosis of ectopia cordis at 10 weeks of gestation using two‐dimensional and three‐dimensional ultrasonography

We report here the earliest prenatal diagnosis to date of a case of ectopia cordis using both two‐dimensional and three‐dimensional ultrasound at 10 weeks of gestation. Both two‐dimensional and three‐dimensional ultrasound clearly revealed a thoracoabdominal ectopia cordis and an omphalocele. Histopathological examination confirmed the prenatal ultrasonic findings. In addition to an ectopia cordis, a supraumbilical hepato‐omphalocele, absence of a pericardium and an anterior diaphragmatic defect were seen, although there was a normal sternum. These pathological findings, suggested that our case was a variant of pentalogy of Cantrell. Copyright © 1997 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology