Publications by authors named "Alvaro Lopez-Soto"

Genital anomalies are a heterogeneous group of congenital pathologies that have become increasingly relevant since the Chicago Consensus of 2005. Their postnatal diagnosis has developed significantly in the last two decades, while prenatal diagnosis seems to be underdeveloped, with few protocols available, fragmented scientific literature, and low diagnostic rates. This review aims to examine the current status of this subspecialty from the perspective of prenatal imaging.

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Background: Micropenis is an endocrinological condition that is habitually observed at birth. Diagnosis is made by measuring the stretched penile length, a method established 80 years ago. Discrepancies in the normative data from recent studies raise the need for a current revision of the methodology.

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External male genitalia have rarely been evaluated on fetal ultrasound. Apart from visualization of the penis for fetal sex determination, there are no specific instructions or recommendations from scientific societies. This study aimed to review the current knowledge about prenatal diagnosis of the scrotum and internal structures, with discussion regarding technical aspects and clinical management.

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Background: Evaluation of the external genitalia is an important part of prenatal ultrasound. However, there is no standardized methodology that includes biometric measurements and normative data to be able to carry out this evaluation.

Objective: To develop a standardized methodology for fetal genital biometry and obtain reference values for use in mid-trimester ultrasound.

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Third trimester ultrasound has long been in obstetrics a topic of debate. This issue is framed in a historical debate on the effectiveness of routine obstetrical ultrasound and two opposing trends originated in America and Europe, respectively. Primary function of this ultrasound has been to detect fetal growth restriction, but no study has shown evidence of improving perinatal outcomes.

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Objective: To reflect on how the area of genital abnormalities has fallen behind in prenatal diagnosis.

Methods: Based on the thesis that prenatal diagnosis of genital abnormalities has scarcely developed, a comparison with other areas of prenatal diagnosis and with its postnatal counterpart is presented; different explanations for this situation are examined; and a reflection is presented on ways to expand this field of knowledge.

Conclusions: Compared to other disciplines, prenatal diagnosis of genital abnormalities finds itself lagging behind in terms of diagnostic tools, management protocols and scientific literature.

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Fetal sex discordance is an entity that is becoming more frequent due to the expansion of the cfDNA for prenatal diagnosis. Its incidence can be estimated in 1/1500-2000 pregnancies, a frequency as high as that of some common chromosomopathies. The causes of this phenomenon are multiple and diverse, ranging from laboratory errors to important pathologies such as disorders of sexual differentiation.

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Postnatal penile length is a reliable, standardized, and widely used marker for the diagnosis of genitourinary pathology, as well as genetic and hormonal disorders. In contrast, prenatal diagnosis has not been developed equally and there is a lack of relevant literature. Our objective is to review the studies on fetal penile length, and apply findings to clinical practice.

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Objective: Cutaneous endometriosis is a rare condition that usually affects the abdominal wall in women with a history of open abdominal surgery. It has a characteristic clinical picture of a mass and pain associated with menstruation. The diagnosis is difficult on being an uncommon and little known condition.

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