Polyhydramnios

In 1940, before the advent of obstetrical ultrasound (US), Lizenberg1 wrote "a moderate excess of amniotic fluid up to two or three quarts is common but of little clinical significance, but excessive amounts of 15 to 25 liters offer real clinical problems." Today polyhydramnios (also known as hydramnios) can be detected with US before rupture of the membranes. Comprehensive US examination will often point to a cause, but more than two thirds of cases continue to be diagnosed as idiopathic. As the new millennium approaches, treatment options for severe cases remain limited.