What percentage of echogenic bowel is nothing?

Although isolated echogenic bowel can be a transient or idiopathic finding in approximately 0.5% of all fetuses, it can also be associated with a wide range of pathologic conditions such as cystic fibrosis, congenital viral infection, primary gastrointestinal pathology, intraamniotic bleeding, and growth restriction.

What causes fetal echogenic bowel?

One of the known reasons for echogenic bowel is an early bleed in the pregnancy (which you may not have been aware of). Echogenic bowel may be caused by the baby swallowing some blood in the amniotic fluid. This is not harmful to the baby. Echogenic bowel can be associated with cystic fibrosis.

How often is echogenic bowel nothing?

If the fetal bowel continues to have an echogenic appearance, the diagnosis can be made. Epidemiology/Incidence: Echogenic bowel is a nonspecific finding observed during 0.2% to 1.8% of routine second-trimester ultrasound exams.

When to look for fetal echogenic bowel movements?

Fetal echogenic bowel (FEB) is often a benign finding during second trimester ultrasound. It is defined as one or more areas of bowel that are as bright as nearby bone on the lowest gain setting.

Is there a sonographic grading system for echogenic bowel?

A sonographic grading system exists to assess the degree of echogenicity 15, although this is not commonly used in clinical practice. If there is difficulty discerning whether bowel is as echogenic as bone, one can progressively decrease the image gain to see which structure disappears first.

Which is the most common echogenic mass in the fetal abdomen?

Echogenic bowel is the most common echogenic mass in the fetal abdomen. To ensure that the bowel is truly echogenic, it must be as bright as adjacent bone. This finding is seen in 1% of second-trimester fetuses ( ,1).

What are differential diagnostic considerations for echogenic fetuses?

Once the decision has been made that the bowel truly is echogenic in a second-trimester fetus, then differential diagnostic considerations include cystic fibrosis, chromosomal abnormalities, intraamniotic bleeding, and congenital infection (, 4,, 5 ).