Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Perinatal/Neonatal Case Presentation
  • Published:

Perinatal/Neonatal Case Presentation

Umbilical Cord Stricture in a 21-Week Fetus

Journal of Perinatology volume 24, pages 48–49 (2004)Cite this article

A Corrigendum to this article was published on 27 May 2004

Umbilical cord twisting with stricture is an often unrecognized cause of intrauterine fetal demise early in gestation. The rate of occurrence and cause of this condition are not known. We report a case of a 21-week gestation complicated by elevated Toxoplasma and parvovirus titers that ended because of umbilical cord stricture.

The cause of excessive umbilical cord twisting and stricture is unknown. It has no predilection for race, parity, gestational age, or fetal sex.1 The mother often describes a period of increased fetal movement followed by complete cessation of fetal activity. The diagnosis of cord stricture is then assumed after death. The postmortem findings are, as in this case, a macerated fetus with a long umbilical cord with excessive twisting. Coarctation of the cord can occur anywhere along its length, but it occurs most commonly at the extreme fetal end.1

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Tavares Fortuna JF, Lourdes Pratas M . Coarctation of the umbilical cord: a cause of intrauterine fetal death. Int J Gynaecol Obstet 1978;15(5):469–473.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Strong Jr. TH, Jarles DL, Vega JS, Feldman DB . The umbilical coiling index. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1994;170(1 Part 1):29–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Bender HG, Werner C, Karsten C . The influence of umbilical cord structure on the course of pregnancy and parturition (author's translation). Arch Gynakol 1978;225(4):347–362.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Benirschke K . Obstetrically important lesions of the umbilical cord. J Reprod Med 1994;39(4):262–272.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Sherer DM, Abulafia O, Anyaegbunam AM . Intra- and early postpartum ultrasonography: a review. Part I. Obstet Gynecol Surv 1998;53(2):107–116.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Sherer DM, Abulafia O, Anyaegbunam AM . Intra- and early postpartum ultrasonography: a review. Part II. Obstet Gynecol Surv 1998;53(3):181–190.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Marsal K . Intrauterine growth restriction. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol 2002;14(2):127–135.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of California, San Diego, Pathology/Autopsy, San Diego, CA, USA

    Eliezer Masliah MD & Carter Wahl MD

Authors
  1. Eliezer Masliah MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Carter Wahl MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Masliah, E., Wahl, C. Umbilical Cord Stricture in a 21-Week Fetus. J Perinatol 24, 48–49 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jp.7211015

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jp.7211015

Search

Advanced search

Quick links