Fetal dental panorama on three-dimensional ultrasound imaging of cleft lip and palate and other facial anomalies.

OBJECTIVES: Craniofacial deformities have a high psychosocial impact. The aim of this paper is to improve obstetric ultrasonography and prenatal detection of facial anomalies by providing a new fetal dental panorama. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The present study describes a new modality to visualize the fetal tooth germs and an easy step-by-step diagnostic approach. Image acquisition was performed between 23 and 32 weeks of gestation using a Voluson E10 GE ultrasound machine with an RM6C transducer (GE Medical Systems, Zipf, Austria). Reconstruction was performed using Omniview from the axial image. Volume contrast imaging (VCI) was used with a thickness of 20 mm, and a render mode that combined "Rx mode" and "surface texture." RESULTS: The resulting imaging allows a more precise visualization of the fetal dental arch and can be obtained between 14 and 28 weeks of gestation. The presence of dental anomalies can be a clue for the diagnosis of various congenital defects, in particular conditions with a shortage of other physical abnormalities, such as ectodermal dysplasia and Binder syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: The creation of a precise fetal dental panorama allows an improved detection of facial deformities. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: With the current paper, we want to increase prenatal diagnostics facial anomalies, and help to establish a tailored multidisciplinary treatment plan. This paper should be of interest to readers who are currently treating patients with craniofacial malformations and readers who are performing diagnostic prenatal sonography.

Amniocentesis in pregnant HIV-infected patients. Absence of mother-to-child viral transmission in a series of selected patients.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the risk of vertical transmission in HIV-infected pregnant women undergoing diagnostic amniocentesis, and to identify possible predictive factors. STUDY DESIGN: This was a single center retrospective study. The records of 330 HIV-infected pregnant women booked in our antenatal clinic from 31 January 2001 to 31 January 2006 were analyzed. Women who actually underwent diagnostic amniocentesis ("amniocentesis performed" group) were compared to those eligible for amniocentesis but who did not undergo the procedure ("amniocentesis withheld" group). RESULTS: During the time period, 318 liveborn babies were delivered (9 HIV infected (2.8%)). Thirty-four women (35 fetuses) were eligible for diagnostic amniocentesis. Amniocentesis was performed in 11 (32.4%) of these women (12 fetuses, none infected among the 9 liveborns) and withheld in 23 (67.6%) women. Among the 19 liveborn babies in this latter group, 1 (5.3%) was infected. There was no statistical difference in vertical transmission rate between the whole cohort of HIV-infected pregnant women and the group of women eligible for amniocentesis; or between the women who actually had or did not have an amniocentesis. The women who did undergo amniocentesis all received highly active antiretroviral combination therapy with three drugs; all but two had an undetectable HIV viral load, only one had immunosuppression and none had HCV co-infection. CONCLUSION: No vertical transmission was observed in a group of nine liveborn babies after amniocentesis performed in selected HIV-infected pregnant women. In the presence of high genetic risk during pregnancy, amniocentesis can be considered after proper patient counselling.

Prenatal diagnosis of cleft lip/palate: The surface rendered oro-palatal (SROP) view of the fetal lips and palate, a tool to improve information-sharing within the orofacial team and with the parents.

The ultrasonographic surface rendered oro-palatal (SROP) view is a 3D reconstructed view of the fetal perioral region, which combines ultrasound insonation in a trans oral, upward directed axial direction and the surface rendered mode. It allows the simultaneous visualization on a single scan of the superior lip, alveolar ridge and secondary palate. It corresponds prenatally to the submental intra oral photography of the palate of neonates. The aim of the study was to demonstrate the benefice of using the SROP view in the management of cleft lip with or without cleft palate, uni- or bi-lateral, diagnosed prenatally (22-28 gestational weeks). The SROP view allowed the representation on a single view of the characteristics of the defect useful to the different members of the orofacial team to exactly evaluate the difformity and to plan the ulterior therapeutic steps (e.g. side, extension of the cleft to the secondary palate, tooth organization). Also, being easier to read by lay people thanks to the use of a surface rendered representation rather than the usual multiplanar reconstructions in the three traditional orthogonal planes, the SROP view makes it easier to bring exact information to the parents about the malformation and its consequences.