TRANSABDOMINAL CHORIONIC VILLI AND PLACEN TAL BIOPSY - RAPID CARYOTYPING THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PREGNANCY

Aim: The diagnostic value and the complication rate of transabdominal chorionic villi and placental sampling was compared with standard amni ocenteses. The method ist especially helpful In cases with conspicuous fetal sonographic findings. Methods: The results of 475 biopsies were retrospectively compared with 983 amniocenteses and chorionic villi s amplings (CVS). Results: 64% of chorionic villi samplings (CVS) were p erformed in the first, 30% in the second and 6% in the third trimester . The indications were advanced maternal age (45%) and psychological p roblems (14%) in the first trimester and conspicuous maternal serum ma rkers (11%) or fetal ultrasound anomalies (12%) in the second and thir d trimester, respectively. 10 out of 20 aneuploid cytogenetic results were found in fetuses with sonographic anomalies. In 4 cases we found confined placental mosaicism, which was clarified by means of amniocen tesis and cordocentesis. We had 8 miscarriages in a total of 475 CVS p rocedures; 6 in 304 before the 15th week of gestation (1.97%). The nat ural abortion rate in this gestational age is about 1%, the CVS-relate d abortion rate therefore is near 1%. Conclusion: Transabdominal CVS i s a low risk method for rapid caryotyping during the entire pregnancy.