PMID: 11920888Mar 29, 2002Paper

Correlation of ultrasound findings and biochemical markers in the second trimester of pregnancy in fetuses with trisomy 21

Prenatal Diagnosis
Vivienne L SouterDavid A Luthy

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to assess possible correlations between ultrasound findings and maternal serum biochemical ('triple test') markers among fetuses with trisomy 21 in the second trimester of pregnancy. The study was a retrospective cohort study of 72 pregnancies affected by trisomy 21 who had a second trimester ultrasound and biochemical screen performed at a single center between 1990 and 1999. The biochemical screen consisted of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), total beta human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) and estriol (uE(3)). Marker levels were expressed in multiples of the median (MoM). The ultrasound findings assessed were major structural anomalies, short humerus length, short femur length, increased nuchal fold thickness (NF), hyperechoic bowel, echogenic intracardiac focus (EIF), ventriculomegaly, choroid plexus cysts and renal pyelectasis. Second trimester maternal serum biochemical markers and ultrasound findings appeared to be largely independent of each other. However, some significant correlations were observed. Estriol was significantly lower when a fetal cystic hygroma was detected on ultrasound compared to those with no cystic hygroma (0.40 vs. 0.70 MoM, p<0.05). The median hCG level was significantly low...Continue Reading

Citations

Aug 28, 2004·Primary Care·Jennifer A Bubb, Anne L Matthews

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