First-Trimester Diagnosis of Fetal Structural Anomalies

Some 50% of fetal structural defects can be identified sonographically at 11 to 14 weeks' gestation.

With the drift of prenatal aneuploidy screening from the second trimester into the first, ultrasound imaging between 11 and 14 weeks' gestation has become increasingly common; however, the efficacy of this approach for detecting fetal anomalies is unknown. Investigators conducted a systematic review of 19 studies spanning a 12-year period and including 78,000 fetuses to determine the accuracy of early ultrasound in diagnosing structural abnormalities. The number of fetal anomalies detected sonographically at 11 to 14 weeks was compared with the number detected at birth or at autopsy.

The overall detection rate with early ultrasound was 51%, and was highest for diagnosing abnormalities of the neck (92%), abdomen (88%), and brain and spine (51…

Reviewing Author

Allison Bryant, MD, MPH

Disclosures

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesSociety for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (Board of Directors)

Allison Bryant, MD, MPH

Disclosures

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesSociety for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (Board of Directors)

First-Trimester Diagnosis of Fetal Structural Anomalies

Topics

Reviewing Author