Cytogenetic analysis in 100 spontaneous abortions in North-East Scotland

The results of an extremely detailed cytogenetic analysis on 100 spontaneous abortions occurring in the Aberdeen area over a 3 year period is presented. A comparison with other published series reveals that there is a higher culture success rate (93%) accompanied by a lower incidence of trisomy and a higher incidence of triploidy, although the percentage of chromosomally abnormal foetuses in first trimester abortions is comparable with other studies. However, these apparent discrepancies can largely be explained on the basis of gestational age and sampling variation.