• scompenso cardiaco da cause funzionali (ipocinesie, ipercinesie) o da cause strutturali (cardiopatie congenite: cuore sinistro ipoplasico, atresia della tricuspide, difetto inter-ventricolare, canale atrio-ventricolare, stemosi aortica, malattia di Ebstein, atresia polmonare
• cromosomopatie: S. di Turner, S. di Noonan, trisomia 21, trisomia 18, trisomia 13.
• osteodisplasie e quadri sindromici: acondrogenesi, ipofosfatemia, SRPS, FADS, S. di Neu-Laxova, S. dei Multiple-Pterygium, S. di Fraser, S. Oro-Facio-Digitale, S. di Beckwith-Wiedemann, Mucopolisaccaridosi, Mucolipidosi, Malattia adenomatoide cistica del polmone, sequestro polmonare, atresia laringea.
• Infezioni: malattie virali, toxoplasmosi, listeriosi, sifilide.
• idiopatica: rappresentano il 30-50% dei casi.

• studio del cariotipo fetale
• ecocardiografia fetale
• controlli ecografici accurati alla ricerca di eventuali anomalie associate
• test infettivologici
• nei casi di idrotorace severo può essere utile drenare il liquido pleurico mediante toracentesi o praticando uno shunt toraco-amniotico
• consulenza genetica

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