Natural History of 70 Fetuses with a Prenatally Diagnosed Orofacial Cleft

• Published in: Fetal diagnosis and therapy Vol. 17; no. 4; pp. 247 - 251
• Main Authors: Bergé, Stefaan J., Plath, Hanno, von Lindern, Jens J., Appel, Thorsten, Niederhagen, Bernd, van de Vondel, Patricia T., Hansmann, Manfred
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel, Switzerland Karger 01.07.2002; S. Karger AG
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Chromosome Aberrations; Cleft Lip - diagnostic imaging; Cleft Lip - genetics; Cleft Lip - mortality; Cleft Lip - surgery; Cleft Palate - diagnostic imaging; Cleft Palate - genetics; Cleft Palate - mortality; Cleft Palate - surgery; Female; Gestational Age; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Management. Prenatal diagnosis; Medical sciences; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Outcome; Pregnancy. Fetus. Placenta; Ultrasonography, Prenatal; Neonatal outcome; Fetal surgery; Orofacial cleft; Sonography; Human; Stomatology; Indication; Mortality; Cleft; Congenital disease; Prenatal; Concomitant disease; Malformation; Surgery; Echography; Cytogenetics; Evolution; Fetus; Diagnosis; Karyotype
• ISSN: 1015-3837; 1421-9964
• DOI: 10.1159/000063402

Objective: This study is an analysis of neonatal outcome in 70 fetuses diagnosed over a 10-year period as having cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL-P) by ultrasonographic examination. Methods: We describe the natural history of these 70 fetuses with orofacial clefts and select those who may be candidates for fetal surgery. The sonograms of 70 fetuses with orofacial clefts were evaluated for the nature of the CL-P and for the nature of the associated anomalies. Additionally, karyotyping was performed in 63 of 70 patients (90%). Results: The frequency of additional anomalies and the mortality rate varied with the type of cleft. Also, the frequency and type of chromosomal abnormalities varied with the type of cleft. The overall mortality rate was 63% (n = 44). 3 of the surviving 26 fetuses had severe associated anomalies. In 13 of the remaining 23 cases, the fetal age at diagnosis (≧22 weeks) excluded the fetuses from the potential benefits of fetal intervention. Conclusion: Of 70 fetuses with prenatally diagnosed orofacial clefts, only 10 (14%) were candidates for fetal CL-P surgery.