Polyhydramnios: An Update

Abstract: Maternal, fetal or placental pathologies may result in an excessive amount of amniotic fluid (AF) volume. Therefore, the surveillance of the AF volume, predominantly by ultrasound, has become an important instrument for the assessment of fetal well-being. An excessive accumulation of amniotic fluid, as a consequence of a disturbed balance between production, fetal resorption and secretion, is defined as polyhydramnios. Its degree correlates significantly with fetal morbidity and mortality. Therefore, polyhydramnios is an important clinical pattern in perinatal medicine. Approximately 20 percent of the fetuses with severe polyhydramnios show a congenital anomaly, whereas 50 percent of all cases are considered to be idiopathic, mostly with mild patterns. Furthermore, the likelihood of aneuploidy varies from 0.4 to 10 percent. Early detection, provides a correct diagnosis and allows a individual therapy. A referral to a tertiary center is advised in case of severe polyhydramnios and unknown etiology. In this review, current diagnostic as well as therapeutical aspects are discussed. Key words: amniotic fluid, prenatal diagnosis, pregnancy, therap