title: A comparative study of prenatal diagnosis and perinatal autopsy.
abstract: The objective of this study was to assess the accuracy of prenatal ultrasonography and to identify patterns of fetal malformations. All fetal and neonatal autopsies over a 3 year period were compared to prenatal sonographic findings and comparisons were made between the results of the two examinations. We identified 133 fetuses and neonates who had both a complete autopsy and a perinatal autopsy. Approximately 87% of autopsy-demonstrated major abnormalities had been detected by prenatal ultrasonography, with 61% of all malformations detected. Some limitations in accuracy of prenatal diagnosis are unavoidable, but strict attention to a thorough fetal examination should improve accuracy. Autopsy examination remains an important component of the evaluation of perinatal losses, especially if dysmorphology is known or suspected.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill.
authors.forename: N C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Chescheir
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Reitnauer
mesh_terms: D001344:Autopsy; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D005333:Fetus / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal