Early ultrasound diagnosis of fetal bladder neck obstruction

Ultrasound diagnosis of fetal urinary obstruction has previously only been achieved late in pregnancy. Garrett et al. (1975) reported the grey scale ultrasound findings in two cases at 34 and 32 weeks gestational age. In neither case were the findings of any therapeutic importance. We have recently diagnosed a case of fetal urinary obstruction in an 18-week pregnancy. The ultrasound findings enabled termination of what would have been a non-viable fetus. A 30-year-old nurse gravida 1 para 0, was first seen in the antenatal booking clinic at 14 weeks. Four months previously she had stopped taking “the pill” as she had developed hypertension. Her blood pressure on booking was 125/80. At 16 weeks her blood pressure had risen to 150/94–138/98, and at home the following day it was 150/90. At 16 weeks and four days the patient was admitted for bed rest, and her diastolic pressure remained at 90.