Cytogenetic study of spontaneous abortions by transabdominal villus sampling and direct analysis of villi

We report our experience in a cytogenetic study of 93 spontaneous abortions . Specimens were obtained by transabdominal chorionic villus sampling (TACV S) in women requesting prenatal diagnosis by chorionic villus sampling (CVS ) but in whom an arrested pregnancy had been diagnosed during the ultrasoun d examination. Our success rate, i.e. the percentage of cases where we obtained results, w as 91.4 per cent, and the rate of abnormalities-mostly aneuploidies and pol yploidies-was 62.3 per cent. In normal cases, masculine:feminine ratio was 1:1. These results confirm those obtained by other groups earlier this decade an d allow us to conclude that, for the cytogenetic study of spontaneous abort ions, CVS is a better approach than the culture of the products of concepti on after evacuation, because the success rate is higher and because it prov ides certainty that the specimens obtained are of fetal origin. Copyright ( C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.