Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 Feb;40(2):237-247.
doi: 10.1002/jum.15392. Epub 2020 Jul 21.

Fetal Open and Closed Spina Bifida on a Routine Scan at 11 Weeks to 13 Weeks 6 Days

Yimei Liao  1 , Huaxuan Wen  1 , Guoyang Luo  2 , Shuyuan Ouyang  1 , Jingru Bi  1 , Ying Yuan  1 , Dandan Luo  1 , Yi Huang  1 , Kui Zhang  1 , Xiaoxian Tian  3 , Shengli Li  1
Affiliations
Review

Fetal Open and Closed Spina Bifida on a Routine Scan at 11 Weeks to 13 Weeks 6 Days

Yimei Liao et al. J Ultrasound Med. 2021 Feb.

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the sensitivity of a first-trimester routine scan in detecting spina bifida (SB) and evaluating the first-trimester intracranial signs.

Methods: This retrospective study was a review of a prospectively collected database. All cases of SB diagnosed in a tertiary center from 2008 to 2015 were identified. The ultrasound images and medical records were reviewed. All cases of SB diagnosed prenatally were confirmed at birth or autopsy.

Results: A total of 24 cases of SB were diagnosed from 53,349 pregnancy cases. Except for 10 cases with a body stalk anomaly, craniorachischisis, or iniencephaly, 7 cases with open spina bifida (OSB) and 7 cases with closed spina bifida (CSB) were analyzed. The first-trimester detection rates were 100% (7 of 7) for OSB and 28.5% (2 of 7) for CSB. Eight cases were highly suspected of SB in the first trimester because of an abnormal appearance of the posterior brain; 3 were false-positive cases. Two isolated cases of OSB had first-trimester intracranial signs. An obliterated cisterna magna (CM) showed the highest sensitivity for OSB but low specificity. Two cases of OSB had no discernible landmark of intracranial translucency and the CM, and 4 showed normal intracranial translucency with an obliterated CM. All CSB cases were coupled with a normal hind brain except for 2 cases.

Conclusions: A first-trimester routine scan has high sensitivity in screening for OSB. The CM may be the most sensitive intracranial sign.

Keywords: fetus; first trimester; intracranial signs; spina bifida; ultrasound.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Sepulveda W, Wong AE, Sepulveda F, Alcalde JL, Devoto JC, Otayza F. Prenatal diagnosis of spina bifida: from intracranial translucency to intrauterine surgery. Childs Nerv Syst 2017; 33:1083-1099.
    1. Ghi T, Pilu G, Falco P, et al. Prenatal diagnosis of open and closed spina bifida. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2006; 28:899-903.
    1. Tortori-Donati P, Rossi A, Cama A. Spinal dysraphism: a review of neuroradiological features with embryological correlations and proposal for a new classification. Neuroradiology 2000; 42:471-491.
    1. Copp AJ, Adzick NS, Chitty LS, Fletcher JM, Holmbeck GN, Shaw GM. Spina bifida. Nat Rev Dis Primers 2015; 1:15007.
    1. Milani HJF, Barreto EQS, Chau H, et al. Prenatal diagnosis of closed spina bifida: multicenter case series and review of the literature. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2020; 33:736-742.

LinkOut - more resources