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Fetal breasts in normal and Down syndrome fetuses
B M Petrikovsky1, E P Schneider, V R Klein
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, North Shore University Hospital, Cornell University Medical College, Manhasset, New York 11030, USA.
Unlabelled:
To assess the validity of fetal breast size measurement as a sonographic marker in fetuses with Down syndrome.
Methods:
Fetal breasts were studied in 26 fetuses with trisomy 21 and 78 fetuses with normal chromosomes. Breasts were identified and measured in a cross-sectional plane of the fetal chest at the level of the four-chamber view of the heart. Normal fetuses had a mean breast size of 3.8 mm +/- 1.1 mm. Fetuses with Down syndrome had a mean breast size of 1.9 mm +/- 0.7 mm (p < or = 0.0001). Diminished breast size measured by ultrasound in the second trimester may be helpful in identifying fetuses with Down syndrome.