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Updated: Mar 19, 2026

A Novel Use of Three-dimensional High-frequency Ultrasonography for Early Pregnancy Characterization in the Mouse
Published on: October 24, 2017
Three-dimensional sonographic features of a fetus with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome
Tharangrut Hanprasertpong1, Uiko Hanaoka1, Xia Zhang1
1Department of Perinatology and Gynecology, Kagawa University School of Medicine, 1750-1 Ikenobe, Miki, Kagawa, 761-0793, Japan.
Abstract:
We present a case of fetal Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome diagnosed by conventional two-dimensional and three-dimensional ultrasonography. Conventional two-dimensional ultrasonography revealed a diaphragmatic hernia, nuchal edema, and suspected hypospadias. Three-dimensional ultrasonography clearly showed a flattening of the face, a high forehead, a broad nasal bridge continuing to the forehead, exophthalmos, and micrognathia (resembling the appearance of a Greek warrior helmet), but conventional two-dimensional ultrasonography did not depict these findings. Prenatal chromosomal analysis confirmed the diagnosis of Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome [46XY, del(4)(p15.2)]. Here we demonstrate how three-dimensional ultrasonography provided a novel visual depiction of the facial dysmorphism, which helped substantially in prenatal counseling.

