At the 20-week anomaly scan the fetal bowel appears abnormally echogenic, equal in brightness to adjacent iliac bone. Which of the following is NOT an accepted association of grade 2 or 3 fetal hyperechogenic bowel?

• A Trisomy 21
• B Cystic fibrosis
• C Congenital cytomegalovirus infection
• D Duodenal atresia ✓

Explanation

Hyperechogenic bowel is a soft marker for aneuploidy, chiefly trisomy 21, and also warrants evaluation for cystic fibrosis and congenital infections such as CMV, since swallowed meconium becomes inspissated. Duodenal atresia presents as the double bubble with polyhydramnios, not as echogenic bowel, because obstruction lies proximal to the distal bowel content that generates the echogenicity.

Reference: Callen's Ultrasonography in Obstetrics and Gynecology, 6th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

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