Prenatal Detection OF Central Nervous System Malformations on Ultrasound

Central nervous system(CNS) malformations are one of the commonest malformations that frequently encountered in pregnancy. It can vary from subtle to very severe defects. Most of them can be diagnosed with prenatal ultrasound. Objective: The purpose of our study was to describe the incidence of various CNS malformations and their imaging findings on antenatal ultrasound. Materials and Methods: This prospective study was carried out in a tertiary care hospital in Kanchipuram, India from January 2012 to December 2014. Total of 3469 cases underwent antenatal ultrasound in the department of radiology. Fetuses with central nervous system malformations were included in the study and detailed clinical history recorded from the mother. Cases with congenital malformations without involvement of central nervous system were not included in the study. Antenatal ultrasound findings were confirmed after the delivery of fetus with clinical examination. Autopsy of delivered fetuses were not done in our study. Results: Out of 3469 cases, 16 were diagnosed with central nervous system anomalies. Postnatal examination showed higher degree of correlation with antenatal Ultrasound findings. Conclusion: Incidence of central nervous system anomalies was 0.46%. Ultrasound is the diagnostic modality of choice in the detection of congenital central nervous system anomalies. Proper screening with ultrasound during antenatal period prevents the delivery of child with central nervous system anomalies.