OBJECTIVE Assess the accuracy of the nuchal translucency (NT) measurement between 11 and 13 weeks and 6 days of gestation as a sonographic marker to screen for congenital heart defects (CHD). METHODS This is a multi-center retrospective study in which singleton gestations of euploid fetuses were analyzed. NT measurement was performed in the first trimester examination when the fetal crown-rum...

Objective We sought to assess blood fl ow in relation to jugular lymphatic distension in fetuses with increased and normal nuchal translucency (NT). Study design In all, 72 fetuses with normal NT and 71 fetuses with NT > 95th percentile were evaluated. NTsize, jugular lymphatic sacs (JLS), jugular vein and ductus venosus pulsatility index for veins (PIV), and intracardiac velocities were measur...

AIMS To establish the normative data distribution of nuchal translucency (NT) thickness in Thai fetuses. METHODS A cross-sectional multicenter study was conducted among 6,455 women with singleton pregnancies and gestational age between 10 and 14 weeks. For each case, the fetal crown-rump length (CRL) and NT were measured by transabdominal ultrasound. Transvaginal ultrasounds were used in poor...

OBJECTIVE Nuchal translucency (NT) seen ultrasonographically at 11-14 weeks' gestation is a sensitive marker for Down syndrome. Despite its important role for Down syndrome screening, its use is still considered controversial due to high false-positive rates. We speculated that progesterone could lead to abnormal blood flow patterns and, subsequently, to increased NT. Our primary endpoint was t...

Sonographic assessment of nuchal translucency (NT) thickness has been recognized as an effective means of screening for trisomy 21 and other chromosomal abnormalities at 11–14 weeks of gestation. Up to 80% of aneuploid fetuses have increased NT, but this feature is also found in 5% of karyotypically normal fetuses at this stage of pregnancy (Snijders et al., 1998). As this screening test examin...

BACKGROUND To investigate normal reference values of nuchal translucency (NT) thickness in normal Taiwanese fetuses between 11 and 14 weeks of gestation. METHODS A prospective study of ultrasound measurements of fetal NT and crown-rump length (CRL) at 11-14 weeks of gestation was conducted in 724 consecutive Taiwanese fetuses between 1998 and 2001. The relationship between NT and 5-mm interva...

OBJECTIVES Document patient choices and screening performance (false positive and detection rates) when three improved Down syndrome screening protocols were introduced coincidentally. METHOD Second-trimester 'triple marker' screening was expanded by adding second-trimester dimeric inhibin-A (four-marker), with or without first-trimester pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (five-marker). Nu...

Nuchal translucency (NT) measurements in the first trimester screening between 11 and 14 weeks' gestation are regarded as a clear marker for aneuploidies. The presence of a thickened NT, even if the karyotype is normal, can be associated with structural abnormalities. Having an abnormal screening of NT, parents and physicians could face dilemma over abortion particularly in a case of IVF/ICSI f...