High Nuchal Translucency and Cystic Hygroma

[Juice]

We went for our scan on Thursday and found that our baby has an NT measurement of 6.3, way above the norm We're waiting for the results of the blood test to see where we go next.

After coming home I read the scan report that has some stuff on it that I don't understand, and google isn't being very helpful.

The report says "Nuchal translucency thickened to 6.3mm and demonstrates fine septations. Appearances are consistent with cystic hygroma."

Septations??? This is the bit I can't seem to find any info about online.

Has anyone been through this? Any info? We're getting the blood results on Mon/Tues but don't have an apportionment with the fetal medicine unit until Thursday, and I'm feel very impatient and very frightened

 

[Clementine]

Hi Juice I have no experience of cystic hygroma hopefully the fetal consultant will give you moe answer. I checked septations for you and this came up "Findings of septations (thin walls dividing the cysts into segments)"

Hopefully all is ok for you and the blood results bring positive news x

 

[babybee]

Hi Juice, so sorry you are going through this worry. I have no personal experience but a friend of mine was told her baby had a cystic hygroma of around 8 and she was so worried. She had a CVS a couple of weeks later which showed no genetic condition. She had an ultrasound at around 18 weeks and 20 weeks and by 20 weeks the hygroma seemed to have disappeared. She had a few more scans after and all looked ok and her daughter was born completley healthy and the only slight difference was a little excess skin when the hygroma had been.
I hope you have a similar outcome and Ill be thinking of you.xx

 

[babybee]

I messaged her to ask about the septated bit and she said that the septation differentiates a high nuchal fold to a cystic hygroma. So her baby also had septations in the nuchal fold which meant it was referred too as a cystic hygroma. She also said she met other families who were told equally worrying results but had babies with no genetic conditions.
I hope some of that helps hun.xx

 

[Juice]

Thank you!
That's very interesting. So it sounds like the nuchal translucency IS the cystic hygroma, because of the septations, rather than a seperate thing. The wording on my scan didn't quite make sense to me, but does now. Otherwise surely there would be a seperate measurement for the hygroma?

 

[babybee]

Yeah i think that's exactly it though I'm not totally 100% sure but from everything she told me at the time and when i spoke to her earlier a nuchal fold with septations is known as a cystic hygroma rather than it being a seperate thing.
Ill be thinking of you on Thursday and keeping everything crossed for you.xx

 

[BunnyN]

So sorry you are going through this.

From what I understand a nucal fold is usually one pocket of fluid. When septations apear on the scan that means there are seperations within the nucal fold, usually caused by cysts (ie cystic hygroma). Similar to a large nucal fold it increases the risk of genetic issues like turners syndrome. The cysts in themselves can also grow large and cause secondary problems even when there is no genetic disorder. It sounds like the ones on your scan are small? There is still a percentage of babies with a large nucal fold and cystic hygroma where baby turns out to be otherwise fine.

Thinking of you and hoping for the best, hugs.

 

[Juice]

Thank you! I'll keep you updated. Hopefully good news

 

[Juice]

Just had screening results:
Edward's and Patau's syndrome - 1:1500
Down's syndrome - 1:15

I am so so relieved!! We've got a long way to go and we're not out of the woods, but just knowing that it's more likely to be Down's than one of those other two horrible syndromes is such amazing news!

We don't know whether we want to opt for diagnostic testing just yet, it's something we need to discuss in depth over the next few days, but for now I'm the happiest I have been since Thursday!

 

[KateK]

It is truly heartwarming how positive you are. Good on you Wishing all the best for you and your beautiful baby xx

 

[babybee]

Im over the moon for you hun. Good luck with coming to a decision on the testing, whatever you decide will be the right thing.xx

 

[Tina18]

So happy to read this xxx

If you did want the downs test And don't want the amneyo then innermost healthcare in Cardiff do a blood test which is 99% accurate, you also get a scan and they tell you the gender, this is available from 10 weeks and costs £450 xxx

 

[Clementine]

Hi Juice, glad you got better news today, did you also get the Harmony Test done as some of the girls here have got very different results on Harmony as in the risk came out much lower on the Harmony, maybe some of girls who have had the Harmony can give you more info (harmony is non invasive )

 

[rach4910]

Hiya,
We had a slightly larger nuchal translucency and risk of Down's was 1:120. Our hospital offered non invasive blood test, just like the Harmony test which gives you a more accurate risk. Usually a near certainty that it is Down's or a 1:100000 chance. They take blood from you and from that they can separate out baby's blood which they then break down to look at the chromosomes. We had that done as we didn't want anything invasive.

 

[Juice]

Our hospital doesn't offer that and we can't afford to have it done privately. We've been told the amnio had a less than 1% chance of mc if done after 15 weeks, so we're probably going to opt for that.