[Ultrasound diagnosis of fetal tooth anlagen and their histologic correlates].
OBJECTIVE
The present study was to examine the radiographic and histologic correlation of the respective ultrasonographic findings.


METHODS
Histologic examinations were performed in 12 fetuses who had died in utero between 16 and 34 weeks of gestation. The fetuses had been examined by intrauterine sonography for tooth germs and had been subjected to additional radiographic examinations post abortum or partum. During autopsy, the tooth germs were again examined sonographically and radiographically, and non-decalcified histological sections were obtained by means of the sawing and grinding technique.


RESULTS
The results obtained by histologically examining the 12 fetal jaws in the ultrasonic plane corresponded in all cases to those examined by sonography and radiology.


CONCLUSIONS
Sonographic proof of tooth germs might gain increasing importance in future because agenesia of tooth germs is one of the principal signs of a variety of hereditary syndromes, particularly those of ectodermal origin.
Ulm
M R
MR
Universitätsklinik für Frauenheilkunde Wien.
Ulm
C
C
Reckendorffer
H
H
Obwegeser
R
R
Plöckinger
B
B
Golaszewski
T
T
Chalubinski
K
K
D004476:Ectodermal Dysplasia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009805:Odontogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012016:Reference Values; D013577:Syndrome; D014071:Tooth Abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D014083:Tooth Germ / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000196:embryology* / Q000473:pathology; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal