Prenatal ultrasonic findings in congenital chloride diarrhoea.

In 3 fetuses affected by congenital chloride diarrhoea there were characteristic prenatal ultrasonic findings. In all cases the fetal abdominal cavity was filled with distended loops of fetal intestine, the fetal stomach was of normal size and polyhydramnios was present. The prenatal ultrasonic findings in this metabolic inherited disease are identical to those caused by mechanical obstruction of the distal fetal intestine. Whenever these findings are encountered prenatally, the possibility of chloride diarrhoea should be considered, because therapy with electrolytes is needed rather than the surgical intervention required in mechanical intestinal obstruction.