National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, a program of the National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences

Fetal cystic hygroma


Other Names:
Cystic hygroma fetal; FCH; Nuchal bleb, familial
Categories:
This disease is grouped under:
Fetal cystic hygroma is a congenital malformation of the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is a network of vessels that maintains fluids in the blood, as well as transports fats and immune system cells. Cystic hygromas are single or multiple cysts found mostly in the neck region. In the fetus, a cystic hygroma can progress to hydrops (an excess amount of fluid in the body) and eventually lead to fetal death. Some cases resolve leading to webbed neck, edema (swelling), and a lymphangioma (a benign yellowish-tan tumor on the skin composed of swollen lymph vessels). In other instances, the hygroma can progress in size to become larger than the fetus. Cystic hygromas can be classified as septated (multiloculated) or nonseptated (simple). Cystic hygromas can occur as an isolated finding or in association with other birth defects as part of a syndrome (chromosomal abnormalities or syndromes caused by gene mutations). They may result from environmental factors (maternal virus infection or alcohol abuse during pregnancy), genetic factors, or unknown factors. The majority of prenatally diagnosed cystic hygromas are associated with Turner syndrome or other chromosomal abnormalities like trisomy 21. Isolated cystic hygroma can be inherited as an autosomal recessive disorder.[1][2] Fetal cystic hygroma have being treated with OK-432, a lyophilized mixture of Group A Streptococcus pyogenes and benzyl penicillin, and with serial thoracocentesis plus paracentesis.[2]
Last updated: 2/27/2016

This table lists symptoms that people with this disease may have. For most diseases, symptoms will vary from person to person. People with the same disease may not have all the symptoms listed. This information comes from a database called the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) . The HPO collects information on symptoms that have been described in medical resources. The HPO is updated regularly. Use the HPO ID to access more in-depth information about a symptom.

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Medical Terms Other Names
Learn More:
HPO ID
Percent of people who have these symptoms is not available through HPO
Autosomal recessive inheritance 0000007
Fetal cystic hygroma 0010878
Hydrops fetalis 0001789
Stillbirth
Stillborn
0003826
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Last updated: 7/1/2020

If you need medical advice, you can look for doctors or other healthcare professionals who have experience with this disease. You may find these specialists through advocacy organizations, clinical trials, or articles published in medical journals. You may also want to contact a university or tertiary medical center in your area, because these centers tend to see more complex cases and have the latest technology and treatments.

If you can’t find a specialist in your local area, try contacting national or international specialists. They may be able to refer you to someone they know through conferences or research efforts. Some specialists may be willing to consult with you or your local doctors over the phone or by email if you can't travel to them for care.

You can find more tips in our guide, How to Find a Disease Specialist. We also encourage you to explore the rest of this page to find resources that can help you find specialists.

Healthcare Resources

Research helps us better understand diseases and can lead to advances in diagnosis and treatment. This section provides resources to help you learn about medical research and ways to get involved.

Patient Registry

These resources provide more information about this condition or associated symptoms. The in-depth resources contain medical and scientific language that may be hard to understand. You may want to review these resources with a medical professional.

In-Depth Information

  • Medscape Reference provides information on this topic. You may need to register to view the medical textbook, but registration is free.
  • The Monarch Initiative brings together data about this condition from humans and other species to help physicians and biomedical researchers. Monarch’s tools are designed to make it easier to compare the signs and symptoms (phenotypes) of different diseases and discover common features. This initiative is a collaboration between several academic institutions across the world and is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Visit the website to explore the biology of this condition.
  • Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) is a catalog of human genes and genetic disorders. Each entry has a summary of related medical articles. It is meant for health care professionals and researchers. OMIM is maintained by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 
  • PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Fetal cystic hygroma. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.

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  1. Cystic Hygroma. Emory University School of Medicine. 2008; http://genetics.emory.edu/documents/resources/Emory_Human_Genetics_Cystic_Hygroma.PDF.
  2. Acevedo JL. Cystic Hygroma Treatment & Management. UpToDate. March 11, 2015; http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/994055-treatment#d6.
  3. Lu D, Wang Y, Zeng W & Peng B. Giant fetal lymphangioma at chest wall and prognosis: case report and literature review. Taiwan J Obstet Gynecol. February, 2015; 54(1):62-5. http://www.tjog-online.com/article/S1028-4559(14)00209-5/fulltext.