Prenatally diagnosed microcephaly: a review of etiologies.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the incidence and etiology of prenatally diagnosed microcephaly.


METHODS
Retrospective review of 10 years at a tertiary obstetrical hospital. The study population consisted of 21 infants with confirmed prenatal and postnatal microcephaly.


RESULTS
There were 8 different definite/probable etiologies identified (viral, monochorionic twinning, genetic syndrome, neural tube defect, abnormal karyotype, hypoxic insult, constitutional).


CONCLUSIONS
Retrospective study indicates the commonest etiologies for prenatal microcephaly are in utero infection, monochorionic twin insult, rare genetic syndrome and chromosomal anomalies.
Dahlgren
L
L
University of British Columbia Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, B.C. Women's Hospital, Vancouver, B.C., Canada.
Wilson
R D
RD
D000328:Adult; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008831:Microcephaly / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D009436:Neural Tube Defects / Q000150:complications; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014427:Twins