Abstract
Background
Umbilical cord flow impairment accounts for a majority of fetal vascular malperfusion (FVM). Hypercoiled umbilical cords are one cause of impaired fetal blood flow that may, in severe cases, result in intrauterine fetal demise (IUFD). Although the factors involved in umbilical cord patterning are incompletely understood, a limited number of reports have described recurrent intra-familial hypercoiling leading to death in the second trimester, suggesting a subset may have a genetic etiology.
Case Reports
Herein, we report two additional cases of recurrent second trimester IUFD secondary to FVM due to umbilical cord hypercoiling and briefly discuss all published cases.
Conclusion
Our cases add to a small, but growing, body of literature that suggests a genetic etiology to a subset of hypercoiled umbilical cords.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Statement of appropriate institutional board approval and informed consent
Exempt from formal ethics review from the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Does not breach the general principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.
Funding
This research received no funding from any agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.