Detailed ultrasound as a screening method for craniospinal abnormalities.
High resolution diagnostic ultrasound was assessed as a screening method for craniospinal anomalies during the second trimester of pregnancy in a population at low risk for neural tube defects (83,403 mothers). The effectiveness of the test was about 60% and the failure rate mainly due to late attendance. In a subgroup (9325) where the screening purposes were satisfactorily fulfilled, the detection rate (87%) was substantially greater. The significance of the results and the cost/benefit ratio, especially compared with serum alpha-feto protein screening services, are then discussed.
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D008403:Mass Screening; D008831:Microcephaly / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D009436:Neural Tube Defects / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D014463:Ultrasonography; D006113:United Kingdom