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PURPOSE: To determine whether there is a relationship between the presence of an echogenic intracardiac focus in 2nd-trimester fetuses and trisomy 21 (Down syndrome). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A complete genetic ultrasonographic (US) scan was obtained in 3,303 consecutive fetuses with an estimated gestational age of 14.0-24.0 weeks (mean +/- SD, 17.1 weeks +/- 1.75). US was performed in a prospective fashion without any knowledge of karyotype and included assessment of any potential echogenic intracardiac focus (ie, calcified papillary muscle). Karyotypes were obtained in all fetuses. Maternal ages ranged from 13.0 to 47.4 years (mean, 35.1 years +/- 5.1). The prevalence of Down syndrome in this population was 1.6% (53 of 3,303 fetuses). RESULTS: An echogenic intracardiac focus was seen in 147 of the 3,192 karyotypically normal fetuses (4.6%) and 16 of the 53 fetuses with trisomy 21 (30%). The positive predictive value (PPV) of an echogenic intracardiac focus in this high-risk population was 9.8%; sensitivity, 30%; specificity, 95%; likelihood ratio, 6.6; and relative risk (RR), 8.2 (P <.001). For a sonographically isolated echogenic intracardiac focus, the PPV was 3.7%; sensitivity, 19%; specificity, 95%; likelihood ratio, 4.2; and RR, 4.8 (P =.002). CONCLUSION: A sonographically isolated echogenic intracardiac focus (no other anomalies or markers noted on a complete genetic sonogram) was associated in our high-risk population with a 4.8-fold (95% CI: 1.8, 12.5) increase in RR for trisomy 21 (P =.002).

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PURPOSE: To confirm that cerebellar hypoplasia is ultrasonographically recognizable in second-trimester fetuses with Down syndrome and determine whether the combination of frontal lobe shortening and cerebellar hypoplasia is superior to either measurement alone as a marker of this abnormality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The frontothalamic distance (FTD) and transcerebellar diameter (TCD) were measured in 52 middle-trimester fetuses with euploid karyotypes and in 52 fetuses with Down syndrome. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed with various thresholds for observed-to-expected ratios (O/Es) of the FTD, TCD, and average of these two parameters. RESULTS: The area under the average ROC curve, 0.80, was greater than that for either the FTD alone (0.75) or the TCD alone (0.76). At a 6% false-positive rate, the sensitivity for the detection of Down syndrome obtained with the average parameter was 34% better than that obtained with only the FTD and 12% better than that obtained with only the TCD. With an O/E threshold of 0.92 for the average parameter, an odds ratio of 16.3 and positive predictive value of 12.7% in the high-risk population were achieved. CONCLUSION: Although both measurements are individually statistically significant, the combination of TCD and FTD measurements may be superior to the use of either parameter alone as a marker of trisomy 21.

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PURPOSE: To determine whether the frontal lobe is disproportionately smaller than normal in second-trimester fetuses with Down syndrome by using prenatal ultrasonographic (US) measurements of the frontothalamic distance (FTD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The FTD, measured from the inner table of the frontal bone to the posterior margin of the thalamus, was measured in 43 fetuses (mean gestational age, 17.2 weeks +/- 1.3 [standard deviation]; range, 15.0-20.4 weeks) with chromosomally proved trisomy 21 and in 160 chromosomally normal fetuses (mean gestational age, 17.1 weeks +/- 1.5; range, 14.5-22.5 weeks). Other cranial biometric ratios also were calculated. RESULTS: The FTD was best predicted from the estimated gestational age (EGA) in the euploid population with the quadratic equation FTD = -0.0120 x EGA2 + 0.6917 x EGA - 5.2349 (R2 = .731) or from the biparietal diameter (BPD) with the linear equation FTD = 0.6837 x BPD + 0.5525 (R2 = .731). If an observed-to-expected ratio of 0.84 is used as a cutoff sign to screen for trisomy 21, a sensitivity of 16%, specificity of 97%, odds ratio of 6.03 (95% confidence interval, 1.81, 20.1), and relative risk of 5.98 are achieved. CONCLUSION: The frontal lobe is statistically significantly smaller in fetuses with trisomy 21. US measurement of the FTD may prove to be a useful adjunctive screening tool if used with other markers for Down syndrome.

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The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the utility of routine measurement of amniotic fluid alpha-fetoprotein levels at the time of second trimester genetic amniocentesis (mean gestational age, 17.3 weeks +/- 2.5 weeks standard deviation; median, 16.8 weeks; range, 15 to 22 weeks). During the study period 7174 patients underwent second trimester genetic amniocentesis. Outcome data were available in all cases. In 79 (1.1%) cases the amniotic fluid alpha-fetoprotein level was > or = 2.0 multiples of the median. Thirty-three of the 79 (42%) patients had normal ultrasonograms, and in 31 of 33 (94%) the amniotic fluid alpha-fetoprotein level was between 2.0 and 3.0 multiples of the median. Forty-six of the 79 (58%) patients had abnormal ultrasonographic findings, and of these, 82% were neural tube defects, abdominal wall defects, or cystic hygromas. Acetylcholinesterase was positive in 37 cases, all of which had abnormal ultrasonographic findings. None of the fetuses with negative findings on sonographic screening had detectable abnormalities at birth. In this study, with over 7000 patients, amniotic fluid alpha-fetoprotein and acetylcholinesterase levels did not increase the detection of fetal abnormalities. On the basis of these results, routine measurement of amniotic fluid alpha-fetoprotein level at the time of routine genetic amniocentesis (15 to 22 weeks) does not appear justified.

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