ROUTINE PRENATAL ULTRASOUND SCREENING FOR FETAL ABNORMALITIES - 22 YEARS EXPERIENCE

We describe the results of routine obstetric ultrasound examination ov er a period of 22 years (1970-91) at the Institut Univesitari Dexeus, Barcelona, Spain. A total of 1006 malformed fetuses or neonates were i dentified at abortion or delivery. The prevalence of fetal abnormaliti es was 3.03%. Fetal anomalies were diagnosed antenatally in 788 (78.33 %) cases. Early prenatal diagnosis (before 22 weeks of gestation) was made in 598 (59.44%) cases. The detection of malformed fetuses increas ed from 19.75% in the first phase of the study (1970-74) to 96.33% in the last phase (1990-91). The specificity of the method was over 99% t hroughout the study period. The most frequently diagnosed anomalies we re urinary tract anomalies (22.86% of cases), followed by head and nec k anomalies (18.68%), musculoskeletal anomalies (8.64%), heart anomali es (7.35%) and gastrointestinal anomalies (7.35%). The earliest diagno sed malformations were those of the thoracoabdominal wall (81.08%), fo llowed by defects of the urinary tract (70.86%) and of the diaphragm ( 70.83%).