Abstract
Meconium peritonitis is a well-known fetal disease, and prenatal diagnosis is achieved in most cases. However, little information has been available regarding the early stages of this disease. We present herein a case of meconium peritonitis observed from the early stages of disease by ultrasonography. A cystic lesion with a small hyperechoic signal was detected in the fetal abdomen in gestational week 28, showing no changes over the following 2 weeks. However, the cystic lesion disappeared with an abrupt increase in ascites at 32 weeks. Enlargement of the fetal intestine subsequently occurred at 35 weeks with a decrease in ascites, and a large cyst appeared at 36 weeks. A female infant weighing 3081 g was delivered at 39 weeks.