Background: Pentalogy of Cantrell (POC) is an extremely rare and complex congenital anomaly. Ultrasound is a valuable, safe, nonionizing, cost effective, widely available, and easily reproducible imaging tool and is indispensible in the diagnosis of POC. Despite the rarity of POC, it is imperative for a radiologist to be aware of its wide spectrum of presentation on ultrasound in first trimester of gestation. Most reported cases in literature till now have been sporadic. In this paper, we aimed to report for the first time in literature, a recurrent case of POC detected in the first trimester in a mother whose previous pregnancy also was terminated in the second trimester medically due to the ultrasound diagnosis of POC. We also discuss the role of ultrasound and other imaging modalities in a case of POC as well as the differential diagnoses which can mimic POC.
Case Report: A 23-year-old G2P0A1 (Gravida2, para0, abortion1) woman with a gestational age of around 12 weeks was referred for a routine first trimester ultrasound scan. The antenatal ultrasound scan showed a single, live, intrauterine gestation corresponding to a gestational age of 11 weeks and 5 days. The fetal heart was visualized outside the chest through a defect in the lower sternum in association with anterior diaphragmatic and ventral abdominal wall defects suggestive of thoraco-abdominal variety of ectopia cardis. There was a membrane covered, midline, abdominal wall defect at the base of the umbilical cord insertion containing the herniated abdominal organs including the liver, bowel loops and the ectopic cardia. There was a breach in the normal outline of the lower sternum indicating a sternal deficiency. The fetal pericardium was absent. The nuchal translucency was grossly increased. Pentalogy of Cantrell was diagnosed on ultrasound and the patient was explained about the poor prognosis of this condition. An informed consent was obtained after she opted for medical termination of pregnancy. The autopsy confirmed all the above mentioned ultrasound features.
Conclusions: Pentalogy of Cantrell (POC) is an extremely rare and complex syndrome of numerous fetal anomalies but should always be borne in the mind during the ultrasound evaluation of either of an omphalocele, ectopia cordis, distal sternal defect, pericardial defect, anterior diaphragmatic defect or intracardiac anomalies. Ultrasound is a valuable, safe, nonionizing, cost effective, widely available, and easily reproducible imaging tool for diagnosis of POC. Ultrasound should always be the primary mode of diagnosis in POC because although Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can help in better delineation of fetal anomalies, it does not significantly alter the course of the pregnancy or the management of POC.