Evaluation of measuring vomer-palate diameters at 11-13 + 6 weeks of gestation and its diagnostic value for cleft lip and palate / 中华超声影像学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the reference range of the length and thickness of the fetal vomer-palate diameters at 11-13 + 6 weeks, and their role in the diagnosis of cleft lip and palate(CLP). Methods:From May 2020 to August 2021, 1 559 pregnant women who underwent ultrasound examination at 11-13 + 6 weeks in Guangdong Women and Children Hospital were selected, and the fetal vomer-palate in the median sagittal plane of the face was observed. The length and thickness diameters of the fetal were measured separately to establish the reference value range of normal fetal.The reference range was compared with the vomer-palate data of fetuses with confirmed CLP. Results:The 1 518 normal fetuses were divided into 11-13 + 6 weeks, 12-12 + 6 weeks and 13-13 + 6 weeks. The reference values of the long diameter of fetal vomer-palatine were 4.3-5.9 mm, 5.0-6.8 mm, 5.4-7.7 mm, and the reference values of the thick diameter were 2.0-2.9 mm, 2.2-3.4 mm, and 2.5-3.8 mm, respectively. The length and thickness of the fetal vomer-palatine were significantly positively correlated with the Crown-rump length ( rs=0.733, 0.634; all P<0.001). In the 1 559 fetals, 25 cases were diagnosed and confirmed with CLP, and the vomer-palate thickness diameters were smaller than the reference values in all cases, meanwhile, the vomer-palate length diameters of 22(88.0)% cases were smaller than the reference values. Conclusions:The reference range of fetal vomer-palate length and thickness at 11-13 + 6 weeks of gestation is valuable for the screening of fetal CLP.