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Figure 1 .
Fetal thoracic scan. Transverse view of the fetal thorax and heart at 38 weeks gestation. A massive effusion (*) is evident in both pleural cavities. The left lung lobes appear completely collapsed or compressed (arrows). The right lung is not seen in this view. On the four chamber view, the fetal heart is normal in size and shape.
Figure 2 .
Fetal cardiac scan. Abnormal fetal Doppler flow velocity pattern through the mitral valve. Unlike in the normal late gestational fetus, the flow velocity during early diastole (E wave) is higher than during atrial contraction (A wave). This indicates impaired diastolic ventricular filling, probably as a consequence of external compression of the fetal heart by the accumulated pleural fluid producing an external tamponade effect.
Figure 3 .
Neonatal chest radiograph taken on the patient's arrival at the neonatal intensive care unit, at 1 hour of life and high frequency oscillation ventilation at a mean pressure of 14.5 cm H2O. Gauge 16 catheters used for bilateral drainage of 400 ml liquid at birth are still in place. Note the persistence of considerable effusion at this early stage.