Traumatic prenatal sigmoid perforation due to amniocentesis.

A variety of fetal injuries, including those inflicted to the gastrointestinal tract by amniocentesis, have been reported before. This brief report describes the first documented case of sigmoid perforation owing to the common procedure of amniocentesis that manifested as abdominal distention at birth. A potential link between this complication and a recent increased incidence of "intrauterine spontaneous perforation" of the gastrointestinal tract has been mentioned. Practicing radiologists are encouraged to inquire directly about the history of amniocentesis in unexplained cases of intrauterine intestinal perforation.