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| Anembryonic gestation Classification and external resources |
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| ICD-10 | O02.0 |
|---|---|
| ICD-9 | 631 |
An anembryonic gestation (aka blighted ovum) is a pregnancy in which the very early pregnancy appears normal on an ultrasound scan, but as the pregnancy progresses a visible embryo never develops. In a normal pregnancy, an embryo would be visible on an ultrasound by six weeks after the woman's last menstrual period.
An anembryonic gestation is characterized by a normal-appearing gestational sac, but the absence of an embryo. It likely occurs as a result of early embryonic death with continued development of the trophoblast. When small, the sac cannot be distinguished from the early normal pregnancy, as there may be a yolk sac, though a fetal pole is not seen. For diagnosis, the sac must be of sufficient size that the absence of normal embryonic elements is established. A pregnancy is anembryonic if a transvaginal ultrasound reveals a sac with a mean gestational sac diameter (MGD) greater than 13 mm and no yolk sac, or an MGD >18 mm with no embryo.
Many centers offer mothers a follow-up ultrasound 10 days later to verify diagnosis.
Anembryonic gestation is one of the causes of miscarriage of a pregnancy. Several management options exist for anembryonic pregnancies which have not miscarried on their own.
See also
External links
- Douglas S. Richards (2003). "Spontaneous abortion- Anembryonic gestation". Ob/Gyn Ultrasound. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Florida. - includes ultrasound images with descriptions
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- This page was last modified on 9 May 2008, at 22:46.
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