Foetal facial clefts: prenatal evaluation of lip and primary palate by 2D and 3D ultrasound.
BACKGROUND
To examine whether three-dimensional ultrasound (3D US) is an accurate diagnostic method of clinical use in the ability to define the location and extent of facial clefting prenatally, compared to two-dimensional ultrasound (2D US).


METHODS
18 foetuses suspected or diagnosed to suffer from a facial cleft by 2D US were examined with a targeted 3D US. 2D US and 3D US results were compared with postnatal outcome.


RESULTS
Comparison of the number of foetuses with a cleft lip + primary palate diagnosed correctly with 2D US with the results of adjunctive 3D US (true positive + true negative) showed that adjunctive 3D US correctly diagnosed more cleft lips (100 %; 15/15 foetuses vs. 66 %; 12/18 foetuses) and more cleft primary palates (100 %; 12/12 foetuses vs. 58 %; 7/12 foetuses).


CONCLUSIONS
Interactive review of standardised 3D multiplanar images allows to systematically evaluate lip defects and abnormalities of the maxillary tooth-bearing alveolar ridge. The accuracy of adjunctive 3D ultrasound is superior to 2D ultrasound alone for extensive prenatal diagnosis of cleft lip with or without cleft primary palate.
Mittermayer
C
C
Department of Neonatology and Intensive Care, University Hospital of Vienna, Austria. Christoph.mittermayer@gyn.akh.magwien.gv.at
Blaicher
W
W
Brugger
P C
PC
Bernaschek
G
G
Lee
A
A
D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000196:embryology; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000196:embryology; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal