title: Early amniocentesis for prenatal cytogenetic evaluation.
abstract: Early amniocentesis at 11-14 weeks gestation was evaluated in 100 consecutive patients to see how this technique compares with later amniocentesis. There were no complications as a consequence of the procedure or related pregnancy losses of chromosomally normal fetuses. Samples obtained from three (3%) patients showed insufficient cell growth; two of these patients elected a repeat procedure, which yielded a normal karyotype in each case. There were five abnormal karyotypes, one of which was a culture artifact; in the latter case, repeat amniocentesis at 15 weeks yielded a normal result. Of the 95 pregnancies with normal karyotypes, 94 were progressing normally at follow-up, and one patient elected pregnancy termination because of maternal indications. It appears that early amniocentesis may be an attractive alternative to traditional amniocentesis, in that it provides results at an earlier gestational age and may avoid certain disadvantages of chorionic villus sampling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Benacerraf
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Greene
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Saltzman
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Barss
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Penso
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Nadel
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Heffner
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Stryker
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Sandstrom
authors.forename: F D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Frigoletto
mesh_terms: D000649:Amniocentesis / Q000009:adverse effects; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000166:cytology*; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000175:diagnosis*; D025063:Chromosome Disorders; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007621:Karyotyping; D011247:Pregnancy; D014463:Ultrasonography