Clinical significance of prenatal double bubble sign on perinatal outcome and literature review

Abstract

Objective

To determine the diagnostic accuracy of the double bubble sign in predicting duedonal obstruction, the prevalence of anomalies associated with congenital duedonal obstruction, and to evaluate the outcome of these pregnancies and review the literature.

Methods

We analyzed that the cases with double bubble sign were detected in prenatal ultrasonography between January 2014 and December 2019. Ultrasound reports, karyotyping results, surgical confirmed diagnoses and long-term results were extracted from the hospital database.

Results

Duodenal obstruction was detected in all operated cases with double bubble sign detected in prenatal ultrasonography. Karyotype anomaly was found in 63.9% and additional congenital anomaly was found in 69.4%. Adverse perinatal outcome was seen in 51.1% of cases. Adverse perinatal outcome was found significantly higher in abnormal karyotype and congenital anomaly groups than isolated group. 81.8% of the isolated cases lived after the operation. Only two isolated cases died.

Conclusion

The prenatal double bubble sign is a highly reliable predictor for duodenal obstruction and structural anomalies and/or genetic abnormalities are present in the majority of cases. Duodenal obstruction is isolated, the outcomes appear favorable.

Keywords:

• Double bubble sign
• prenatal diagnosis
• karyotype
• congenital anomaly
• perinatal outcome

Disclosure statement

There are no known conflicts of interest associated with this publication.