Amniotic band syndrome in second trimester associated with fetal malformations.

The possibility of severe fetal malformations, including neural tube defects, secondary to early amniotic rupture followed by formation of fibrous bands (amniotic band syndrome) is a well-known entity. The fact that these pregnancies are usually uneventful makes prenatal diagnosis difficult, but routine determination of serum alphafetoprotein, followed by ultrasound scanning, may detect some of the malformations. We present a case, where detection of a neural tube defect led to induced second trimester abortion of a fetus severely affected by this syndrome. There appeared to be a causal relationship between maternal trauma and the amniotic rupture.