Outcome in children with fetal mild ventriculomegaly: a case series

Mild enlargement of the lateral ventricles is associated with schizophrenia and other neurodevelopmental disorders. While it has been hypothesized that ventricle abnormalities associated with neurodevelopmental disorders arise during fetal brain development, there is little direct evidence to support this hypothesis. Using ultrasound, it is possible to image the fetal ventricles in utero, Fetal mild ventriculomegaly (MVM) has been associated with developmental delays in early childhood, though longer-term neurodevelopmental outcome has not been studied. Follow-up of five children (aged 4-9 years) with mild enlargement of the lateral ventricles on prenatal ultrasound and two unaffected co-twins is reported: one child had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), one had autism, and two had evidence of learning disorders. These cases suggest that the mild enlargement of the lateral ventricles associated with these neurodevelopmental disorders arises during fetal brain development and can be detected with prenatal ultrasound. In addition, the presence of mildly enlarged, asymmetric ventricles in two children on prenatal ultrasound and on follow-up MRI at age 6 years indicates that ventricle structure present in utero can persist well into childhood brain development. The study of fetal ventricle development with ultrasound may provide important insights into neurodevelopmental disorders and allow the identification of children at high risk. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.