Hydrops due to myocarditis in a fetus.

At 18 weeks of gestation a fetus was studied sonographically because of advanced maternal age and found to have hydrops of unknown etiology with ascites, pleural, and pericardial effusions. An abortion was performed and in the fetal/placental material myocarditis and thyroiditis were documented. Maternal antibodies to Coxsackie virus B5 showed a onefold rise. Tentatively, the hydrops is assigned to Coxsackie virus myocarditis, a lesion not previously identified in fetuses.