Objective To assess the value of prenatal ultrasonography on fetal forearm and crus malformations by studying the ultrasonographic characteristic in relation to methods of examination. Methods All fetus were evaluated by using a systematic continuous sequence approach (SCSA) with ultrasonography. A close attention was paid on shapes, structures and movement of fetal forearm and crus, and fetus specimens after induced labor were rescanned by ultrasonography under the condition of mimic intra-uterus. Results Thirty of 33 cases (90.9%) with fetal forearm and crus malformations (totally 48 of 54 limb anormalies, 88.9%) were correctly diagnosed by prenatal ultrasonography. Six limb malformations of 3 cases were missed. Conclusion Our study demonstrates that the malformations of forearm and crus detected with prenatal ultrasonography are highly accordant with the malformations revealed in fetus in vitro. It is important to abide by the SCSA in ultrasonographic diagnosis of fetal forearm and crus malformation.

The superior mesenteric artery (SMA) is one of the visceral branches of the abdominal aorta. It has multiple branches to supply blood and nutrition to the intestinal segment, and these form an anastomosis with each other. SMA injuries are usually classified as major visceral artery injuries, and have an incidence of <1%. The clinical manifestations of patients with SMA injuries include intra-abdominal bleeding and peritoneal irritation. The compromised blood supply can lead to intestinal ischemia and perforation. These injuries are often not diagnosed in time and have significant mortality rates of 25%‍-‍68% due to the lack of specific features (Maithel et al., 2020). Not only that, but patients with less severe trauma or no visible damage on initial examination may still have clinically significant intra-abdominal injuries (Nishijima et al., 2012). Emergency departments often encounter multiple cases that require urgent diagnosis and treatment (Li et al., 2021; Zhang et al., 2021; Zhou et al., 2021), and therefore, it is imperative to diagnose and manage these rare injuries expeditiously.
Humans ; Mesenteric Artery, Superior/surgery* ; Abdominal Injuries/diagnosis* ; Intestines