title: Sonographic assessment of the fetal palpebral fissure slant--an additional tool in the prenatal diagnosis of syndromes.
abstract: Several syndromes and aneuploidies are associated with ocular abnormalities including up- and down-slanting palpebral fissures. We describes a technique for the sonographic assessment of the fetal palpebral fissure slant which was used in 70 normal pregnancies from 14 to 36 weeks of gestation. In a frontal view of the fetal face, the inferior angle between the palpebral fissure and the midline of the skull was determined. The median angle was 89 degrees, with a range from 87 degrees to 90 degrees. In selected cases, sonographic assessment of the fetal palpebral fissure slant may be a helpful additional tool in the prenatal diagnosis of syndromes, as demonstrated in a fetus with Seckel syndrome associated with downslanting palpebral fissures and in a fetus with Down's syndrome associated with upslanting palpebral fissures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mielke
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dietz
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Franz
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Reiss
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gembruch
mesh_terms: D019465:Craniofacial Abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000196:embryology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000196:embryology; D005123:Eye / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000196:embryology*; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal