Diagnosis of fetal death in utero by real-time ultrasound.

The efficacy of real-time ultrasound for the diagnosis of fetal death or hydatidiform mole was evaluated during a 1-year period. During this time, 116 patients were referred to the obstetric ultrasound service for the confirmation of clinical diagnoses. In 24 of 46 patients (52%) presenting in the first half of pregnancy, the referring diagnosis was confirmed. In 1 case of an early intrauterine pregnancy with a degenerating myoma, the ultrasound diagnosis of molar pregnancy was in error. In 48 of 70 patients (69%) referred after 20 weeks' gestation, the clinical diagnosis was confirmed. In no instance was either a false-positive or false-negative diagnosis made with real-time ultrasound in the last half of pregnancy. This method should prove to be the method of choice in diagnosing intrauterine fetal death.