What are the types of prenatal ultrasound cysts?

  1. In the pelvis, if it is a girl, it may be an ovarian cyst and 10% is an ovarian cystic teratoma. The latter is mostly benign. Ovarian cysts are very common in newborns and most disappear on their own. Conservative observation is mostly recommended in the literature. Exceptions that require surgery include: (1) ovarian cysts with painful torsion. (2) Cysts larger than 5 cm in diameter, as they are more likely to twist and also affect ovarian blood flow. (3) Cysts with solid components, i.e. cystic teratoma.  (2) Cysts next to the intestine, commonly known as intestinal duplication malformations, mesenteric cysts, lymphadenomas, and large omental cysts, are all benign cysts with good prognosis. Intestinal duplication malformations mostly occur near the ileocecal region and nowadays most of them can be removed by minimally invasive methods.  3. Cysts found under the liver may be cystic biliary atresia or common bile duct cysts.  4. There are many “cysts” in the kidney, which may be hydronephrosis or a true cyst. Multicystic dysplastic kidney (MCDK) is a benign disease in which one kidney is underdeveloped and life is normal if the other side is normal. In contrast, polycystic kidney (MCDK) is a genetic disease with two types, which affects both kidneys and can lead to kidney failure after some years.  The most common ones in the chest are congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (congenital cystic malformation) and bronchogenic cyst. Both are benign cysts that can be operated on electively after birth, and there is a high risk of infection if surgery is not performed.  6. Most of the cysts in the neck or are lymphangioleiomas, which are benign. It can be dealt with after the birth of the child.  In conclusion, almost all cysts detected by prenatal ultrasound are benign. The pediatric surgeon should be consulted for prognosis and treatment options to continue the pregnancy.