Cystic Hygromas (Septated)

[Whereto]

Anyone out there have experience in this?
Love to hear from those that have?
Size?
Was it septated?
Did it resolve and when?
What was your pregnancy outcome?

[Stephlynn1973]

I just had an U/S at 14 weeks. The cystic Hygroma is 5 mm on the back of the babies neck. I just completed the Harmony test to see if there is any other abnormalities. I left the MAternal Fetal Medicine's office extremely distraight and felt there was no hope. Everyone on here has showed me there is still hope. To remain positive until all the tests are complete. I will be having an amino as soon as the results come in from the Harmony test. Thanks so much for lifting my spirits.

[Whereto]

Sorry I have not seen your comments until now - I havent been on here for a couple of months. It is indeed an extremely stressful time during your pregnancy to have such a diagnosis.
My little boy arrived a few weeks early on 8th January. Right up until the last scan 3 days before he was born they could still detect a small amount of fluid on the back of his neck. He has a reasonable amount of loose skin on the back of his neck which he "should" grow into. However this can be addressed with cosmetic surgery down the track should we desire. Personally it is the very least of my worries. From the front you would never know. So far he appears completely normal and we will not know if he has any developmental issues for some time. He has already started rolling over from front to back at only 4 weeks (thought it a fluke at first) and at 11 weeks is full of "babble" and smiles and melts my heary every single moment of the day. Everything is pointing the right way - but it is always in the back of my mind what could be down the track. I know I am very lucky to have such a healthy baby boy. I wish you all the very best for a great outcome!! Please indeed keep me posted!!!

[Jodee2010]

Hello My name is Jody and I'm currently 19 weeks pregnant and my baby had a cystic hygroma of 5.7mm at 9weeks. My OB told me that there wasn't much chance that I would have a normal healthy baby and I was devasted! I was referred to a genetic councellor at McMaster and she had a much better prognosis. She said that I had a 20% chance of having a baby with a chromosnal abnormality or birth defect and I chose to have an amnio. The amnio results came back normal. Last week I had my U/S and the cystic hygroma was completly resolved and her development is normal. I have been warned by the genetic councellor that there is still a 3% chance that there might be something wrong with the baby that the amnio wouldn't show and won't show on an U\S, but now our prognosis is that there is a 97% chance that we will have a normal healthy baby and that they will never know why there was a cystic hygroma on the baby. Which is fine with me. I just want my little girl to be healthy. I also wanted to let you know that there is hope for your baby!  They don't have all the answers and there is a 50% chance right off the bat that the cystic hygroma will resolve itself and your baby will be fine. I have started a group for women who are in the same situation and I will keep you posted on my pregnancy as it continues. I'm due June 2011 so I'm half way there! Best of luck to you and your baby! God Bless!

[trh0819]

I haven't personally experienced it but a friend did and her pregnancy was terminated at 17 weeks. I don't know if there are different degrees but her baby was considered severe and was expected to deliver stillborn or not survive more than a few hours. This was a very difficult time for my friend as she lost her previous baby the day before a scheduled c-section. It sounds, however, that your outcome is expected to be far better. I pray you have a beautiful, healthy baby.

[Whereto]

Prob best to google it!
Basically (and in very broad terms) it's an extension of the nuchal measurement - a fluid filled sac usually located on the back of the baby's neck but can present elsewhere. In severe cases it may develop into Hyrops - fluid takes over vital organs such as the heart - and most (not all) usually die. Very common in Turners syndrome for example.
CH occurrs in less than 1% of pregnancies and the septated variety has a significantly worse prognosis. The cysts may resolve in utero or they may continue to grow and get larger. It is caused by malformation of the baby's lymphatic system.
This is what my little guy has been fighting. His has fortunately "resolved" at 22 weeks(has two barely detectable small cysts on the left side of his neck - the doc thinks will go) but that does not yet mean he is out of the woods. He is so far one of the lucky ones. Having a NT of 8.4 which consisted of the septated CH is very large. Usually around 60% of these babies have chromasomal issues - otherwise major heart defects usually present - other than that it is usually some kind of genetic syndrome like Noonan's.
As said before this affects less than 1% of pregnancies - of those that don't terminate (most do)  or they die inutero - only an extremely small % of these babies, with the size that mine had, will survive with no adverse outcomes. I am so so lucky to have got to where I am. Physically he is looking great - won't know if there are issues until after he is born and even then it may take a few years to identify any developmental issues. The syndrome he may have although does not yet show physical symptoms for is Noonan's. They don't test for this in Australia. It takes about 8 weeks to send and get results from USA. . . I have had to accept this risk as it was too late for me to test.
I have managed to locate on other forums overseas a couple of people going through this now and others that have been through it in the past with varying outcomes.
I'm hoping there may be someone on this site too!

[adgal]

I'm sorry I can't comment on this as I have not had this experience.  What is it exactly?