Well I just went to my routine check up with Lynn my midwife and she had some news to share about our ultrasound we had back on the 4th of February. Nothing serious to worry about hence she didn't call me and waited until our next appointment to fill me in, but it will require another ultrasound that is scheduled for next Wednesday to confirm that it is isolated and we will know more then. It looks like Lou Lou has a Choroid Plexus Cyst. Here is a little summery of what it is.
What are choroid plexus cysts?
The choroid plexus is the part of the brain that makes cerebrospinal fluid, the fluid that normally bathes and protects the brain and spinal column. In about 1 percent to 2 percent of normal babies -- 1 out of 50 to 100 -- a tiny bubble of fluid is pinched off as the choroid plexus forms. This appears as a cyst inside the choroid plexus at the time of ultrasound. A choroid plexus cyst can be likened to a blister and is not considered a brain abnormality.
What is going to happen to the cyst? Will it enlarge? In the vast majority of cases, the cyst resolves or disappears and has no consequences.
As mentioned, choroid plexus cysts are present in 1 percent to 2 percent of normal fetuses. However, in a very small percentage of fetuses with choroid plexus cysts, there is an associated chromosome disorder called trisomy 18. Fetuses with trisomy 18 have an extra copy of chromosome 18. Frequently, fetuses with trisomy 18 are stillborn. Survivors beyond infancy are rare. They have severe mental retardation and a variety of other problems including abnormalities of almost any organ system such as the heart, brain and kidneys. Fetuses with trisomy 18 have choroid plexus cysts about a third of the time. Therefore, when we see choroid plexus cysts, we are concerned that the fetus may have trisomy 18.
Trisomy 18 is rare. It is present in less than 1in 3,000 newborns. Choroid plexus cysts are relatively common in normal fetuses. Most fetuses with a choroid plexus cyst are normal. Furthermore, many of the abnormalities associated with trisomy 18 can be detected by a careful ultrasound. In fact, fetuses with trisomy 18 almost always demonstrate abnormalities on ultrasound in addition to choroid plexus cysts, although some of these abnormalities can be quite subtle. If no additional abnormalities are detected by a thorough "level II" ultrasound, the likelihood the fetus has trisomy 18 is very low.
What are the odds that it is a sign of the chromosomal disorder trisomy 18? The precise rate of risk is difficult to estimate and is somewhat controversial, but most doctors believe it is well under 1 percent. In other words, a fetus with choroid plexus cysts but an otherwise normal ultrasound has a better than 99 percent chance of not having trisomy 18. A normal alpha fetoprotein (AFP) test further reduces the likelihood of trisomy 18.
Does the size of the cyst matter? Ordinarily, the size does not matter, although multiple, large cysts are slightly more worrisome.my 18 who have a CPC have other abnormalities on the ultrasound, especially in the heart, hand, and foot."
Regardless of their number, shape or size, choroid plexus cysts are not harmful to the baby. "I am not aware of a single instance where a CPC caused damage to a fetus," says Dr. Filly.
Dr. Peter Doubilet, a Professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School, agrees, "That's one very important fact. CPCs are not harmful, and they nearly always go away by the third trimester of pregnancy."
If CPCs are found during an ultrasound, the radiologist will scrutinize every organ and body part to look for other abnormalities, such as a malformed heart, head, hands or feet, and stunted growth of the baby. When no other abnormalities are found, the diagnosis is called an "isolated CPC."
So since our first ultrasound (level 2) didn't pick up any other abnormalities we have a very high chance of this being isolated and a very very slight chance of any problems down the road, but they need to double check everything to make sure. I am surprisingly calm about this, my midwife was awesome when she explained it she noted that even one of her children had this and everything came out just fine. In her 20 years of experience she has never had one case develop into anything harmful which put me at ease right away. She also explained that I have marginal placenta previa (see description below).
During pregnancy, the placenta moves as the uterus stretches and grows. In early pregnancy, a low-lying placenta is very common. But as the pregnancy progresses, the growing uterus should "pull" the placenta toward the top of the womb. By the third trimester, the placenta should be near the top of the uterus, leaving the opening of the cervix clear for the delivery.
Sometimes, though, the placenta remains in the lower portion of the uterus, partly or completely covering this opening. This is called a previa.
There are different forms of placenta previa:
- Marginal: The placenta is against the cervix but does not cover the opening.
- Partial: The placenta covers part of the cervical opening.
- Complete: The placenta completely covers the cervical opening
So again not a big concern since it is only marginal at this point and I'm not into my third trimester yet so there is plenty of more growing ahead for my uterus and hopefully this ultrasound next week will show that it has continued to move away from the cervix. Worst comes to worst it means a c-section down the road, but that is unlikely.
I'll be sure to post more once we find out. In the meantime I'm feeling great and really do enjoy being pregnant. Feeling Lou Lou move and hearing her strong heartbeat at my appointment today bring me so much joy that I can't get to worried about this news.
