PRENATAL SONOGRAPHIC DIAGNOSIS OF SKELETAL DYSPLASIAS - A REPORT OF THE DIAGNOSTIC AND PROGNOSTIC ACCURACY IN 35 CASES

Sonographic assessment of the skeleton is a routine part of fetal anom aly scanning. We report a series of 35 cases seen during a 7-year inte rval in which a skeletal dysplasia was suspected prenatally. In seven (20 per cent) of the 35 cases, a specific diagnosis could not be made either pre-or postnatally. Follow-up was incomplete in one case. In 32 (91 per cent) of the 35 cases, prenatal sonographic examination corre ctly predicted the prognosis, although in only 11 (31 per cent) of the 35 cases was the suggested prenatal diagnosis proven to be correct. T he difficulty of making an accurate prenatal sonographic diagnosis in fetuses with suspected skeletal dysplasias throughout gestation, espec ially in the third trimester, and the importance of comprehensive mult idisciplinary postnatal assessment in these cases are emphasized. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.