ABNORMALITIES OF THE HANDS AND FEET IN THE FETUS - SONOGRAPHIC FINDINGS

This pictorial essay illustrates abnormalities of the hands and feet t hat sonography depicts and describes their associations with chromosom al abnormalities, syndromes, and other pathology. Examination of the e xtremities, although not listed in the guidelines of the American Inst itute of Ultrasound in Medicine for standard obstetric sonography, is a critical adjunct to fetal imaging and is needed to diagnose many syn dromes. Anomalies of the hands and feet may involve ail limbs or be fo cal, involving a single distal ray. Although this essay focuses on def ects of the hands and feet, these defects are often part of more globa l defects that include the rest of the limb as well. For this reason, anomalies of the limbs that relate primarily to defects of the hands a nd feet will also be demonstrated. Evaluation of the hands and feet is an important part of the structural survey of the fetus at all gestat ional ages, as it provides an adjunct to the diagnosis of many syndrom es, including chromosomal abnormalities. Even isolated limb anomalies may be important to diagnose antenatally so that proper care can be in stituted postnatally for families and their newborns.