AUTOPSY, RADIOGRAPHIC, AND PRENATAL ULTRASONOGRAPHIC EXAMINATION OF ASTILLBORN FETUS WITH FEMORAL FACIAL SYNDROME

Femoral facial syndrome (FFS) is comprised of cleft palate, micrognath ia, short or absent femora, and vertebral and genitourinary malformati ons, We report on a stillborn fetus with FFS delivered to a mother wit h gestational diabetes. Prenatal ultrasound examination showed abnorma lities at 21 weeks of gestation; prior ultrasound findings were interp reted as normal, Long bone histology showed disorganization of the gro wth plate with a relative decrease in cartilaginous matrix and vacuoli zation and binucleation of the chondrocytes. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.