The Use of Ultrasound as a Potential Adjunct to Cell-Free Fetal DNA Screening for Aneuploidy at Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, USA. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Objective To evaluate the utility of ultrasound in identifying fetuses with uncommon chromosomal abnormalities that would be considered not detectable by cell-free fetal deoxyribonucleic acid (cfDNA). Study Design We performed a retrospective study of fetuses with chromosomal abnormalities that would be undetectable by cfDNA, who underwent an 11- to 14-week ultrasound from 2006 to 2016. Results There were 43 pregnancies included. First-trimester ultrasound revealed a fetal abnormality in 19 (44.2%) cases, of which 13 (30.2%) had a thickened nuchal translucency. There were an additional four fetuses with second-trimester sonographic abnormalities. Overall, 23 (53.5%) fetuses were found to have a major anomaly diagnosed by ultrasound. The rate of first-trimester sonographic abnormalities varied widely based on category of chromosomal abnormalities with high rates seen with triploidy (87.5%) and autosomal trisomy (80%) and lower rates seen with structurally abnormal chromosomes (33.3%), trisomy mosaicism (27.3%), other forms of mosaicism (11.1%), and deletions or duplications (25.0%), p < 0.001. Conclusion The majority of fetuses with uncommon chromosomal abnormalities in our cohort had major sonographic anomalies. The use of first-trimester ultrasound with nuchal translucency measurement may offer utility in identifying fetuses with risk of aneuploidy that would not be detectable with cfDNA.

publication date

  • February 9, 2018

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC5807075

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1055/s-0038-1624564

PubMed ID

  • 29435489

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 4

issue

  • 1