Hemangioma of the umbilical cord: stenotic change of the umbilical vessels.

We report a rare case of an umbilical cord hemangioma diagnosed by ultrasound at 16 weeks of gestation. The umbilical cord consisted of a hemangioma nodule and pseudocysts near the placental insertion, a large gelatin-like swelling adjacent to the nodule on its fetal side, and a short normal part extending to the navel. At 17 weeks of gestation, this condition resulted in the intrauterine death of the fetus. Microscopically, there were communications between the capillary of the hemangioma and the umbilical vessels, verifying the origin of the tumor. Moreover, the umbilical vein and one of the arteries changed stenotically due to the intravascular proliferation of the hemangioma. These findings indicate the possibility of a pathological association between the umbilical cord hemangioma and fetal demise due to impaired umbilical circulation. Copyright 1999 S. Karger AG, Basel