Comparisons of first and second trimester screening for fetal anomalies.
Four thousand fifty unselected pregnant women bearing a total of 4,078 fetuses were examined by transvaginal sonography (TVS) at 14 weeks of gestational age and rescreened via transabdominal sonography (TAS) at 21 weeks. Fifty-four of 88 anomalies were correctly identified at first scan whereas 34 were not; of these, 24 were discovered at second trimester rescreening, and the remaining 10 were observed later in pregnancy or after birth. The sensitivity of TVS screening with respect to final outcome was 61.4% (54 of 88 malformations in total) and 69.2% in comparison to TAS screening results (54 malformations detected among 78 recognized within 21 weeks). The association between fetal malformation and chromosomal aberrations was also investigated: in our study population there were 21 aneuploidies, 14 of which were recognized because of abnormal findings at the 14 weeks' TVS, 5 at the TAS rescreening, and 2 after birth in neonates free of structural abnormalities.
D'Ottavio
G
G
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Istituto per l'Infanzia Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy.
Mandruzzato
G
G
Meir
Y J
YJ
Rustico
M A
MA
Fischer-Tamaro
L
L
Conoscenti
G
G
Natale
R
R
D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000235:genetics; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000002:abnormalities*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D014621:Vagina