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Ear length: a potential sonographic marker for Down syndrome

J T Awwad1, G B Azar, K S Karam

  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Lebanon.

International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics: the Official Organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics
|March 1, 1994
PubMed
Summary

Antenatal ultrasound measurement of fetal ear length may help screen for Down syndrome. A ratio of measured-to-expected ear length below 0.8 showed promise in identifying fetuses with Down syndrome during the second trimester.

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Area of Science:

  • Prenatal diagnostics
  • Fetal medicine
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Down syndrome (Trisomy 21) is a genetic condition.
  • Early identification of Down syndrome is crucial for appropriate management.
  • Current screening methods have limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the utility of fetal ear length measurement via antenatal sonography as a screening tool for Down syndrome.
  • To assess the correlation between ear length and gestational age in normal fetuses.

Main Methods:

  • Ultrasound ear length measurements were performed on 418 fetuses between 20-28 weeks gestation.
  • Linear regression analysis established expected ear length based on gestational age.
  • The ratio of measured-to-expected ear length was analyzed for its discriminatory ability.

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Main Results:

  • Fetuses with Down syndrome exhibited significantly lower mean ear lengths and measured-to-expected ear length ratios.
  • A ratio < 0.8 demonstrated 75.0% sensitivity and 98.8% specificity for detecting Down syndrome.
  • The positive predictive value for this ratio was 8.5% in the general population.

Conclusions:

  • Antenatal sonographic determination of fetal ear length appears to be a potentially valuable screening method for Down syndrome.
  • This technique shows promise for second-trimester Down syndrome detection.
  • Further research is warranted to confirm these preliminary findings.