Diagnosis
Medical diagnosis of pulmonary hypoplasia in utero may use imaging, usually ultrasound or MRI. The extent of hypoplasia is a very important prognostic factor. One study of 147 fetuses (49 normal, 98 with abnormalities) found that a simple measurement, the ratio of chest length to trunk (torso) length, was a useful predictor of postnatal respiratory distress. In a study of 23 fetuses, subtle differences seen on MRIs of the lungs were informative. In a study of 29 fetuses with suspected pulmonary hypoplasia, the group that responded to maternal oxygenation had a more favorable outcome.
Pulmonary hypoplasia is diagnosed also clinically.
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