Clinical experience of Umbilical Cord cysts from a Chinese single centre

BackgroundThe aim of this series was to guide the prenatal management of umbilical cord cysts by summarizing their clinical datas.MethodsA retrospected study from Jan 2012 to May 2019 was conducted in our centre from Women’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University. Clinical datas and pregnancy outcomes of women with umbilical cord cysts were reviewed from the hospital’s electronic record and descriptive information about the umbilical cord cysts were depicted from both the sonograms and macrography.ResultsTwenty-eight women were diagnosed with umbilical cord cysts during the last six years,of whom only three had therapeutic abortion for fetal malformations and twenty-three were diagnosed between 12 + and 38 + gestational week(GW). Eight had only maternal serum screening, six had non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) directly and six had both tests. Three had karyotype analysis while five cases had no record.With maternal serum screening,one had high risk and the other one had middle risk and they both further had NIPT low risk.Still another one had a HCG multiple of median (MoM) up to 2.9 whose fetal had left kidney cyst.Except umbilical cord cysts, six fetus had other sructural defects including multiple malformation,single umbilical artery,acromphalus and kidney absence or cyst.There were still two cases had fetal arrhythmia and atrial premature beats.The mean delivery week was 39 + GW, six women had successful vaginal delivery and the remaing had cesarean section. The mean birth weight was 3120 g and the majority had a good pregnancy outcome.ConclusionsUmbilical cord cysts were rare but might warn fetal structural defects or chromosomal abnormality. Systematic ultrasound assessment and karyotype analysis or NIPT at least should be suggested in their prenatal counseling. More attention should be paid to fetal distress during pregnancy and vaginal delivery could be a choose unless they had other contraindication.