A Case of Fetal Cleft Lip and Palate Diagnosed by Three-Dimensional Ultrasound During Pregnancy

TL;DR

A fetus with a cleft lip and palate was accurately diagnosed using 3D ultrasound during pregnancy, enabling detailed prenatal evaluation.

Contribution

The study demonstrates the effectiveness of 3D ultrasound in diagnosing fetal cleft lip and palate with detailed structural evaluation.

Findings

3D ultrasound successfully identified a cleft lip and palate in a fetus at 34 weeks of gestation.

Tomographic ultrasound imaging (TUI) provided detailed visualization of nasal and oral cavity defects.

The prenatal diagnosis via 3D ultrasound aligned with the postnatal confirmation of cleft lip and palate.

Abstract

We report a case in which a fetal cleft lip and palate were diagnosed by three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound during pregnancy. The patient was a 26-year-old woman with four pregnancies and three deliveries, and her third child had a cleft lip and palate. She had been undergoing antenatal care at our hospital since seven weeks of gestation, and a fetal cleft lip was suspected by a 3D ultrasound taken at 24 weeks of gestation. Up to this time, a diagnosis had not been made due to poor conditions, such as the direction of the fetus. However, the coronal section at 1 mm intervals centered on the palatal area was scanned using tomographic ultrasound imaging (TUI) in a 3D ultrasound at 34 weeks of gestation. The connection between the nasal and oral cavity, as well as a defect in the alveolar ridge, suggested a cleft lip and palate. The mother went into labor at 36 weeks and one day of pregnancy, and a vaginal delivery was performed on the same day. The baby was a 2,164 g boy with an Apgar score of 8/9 and a cleft lip and palate. 3D ultrasound is a useful tool for the detailed depiction of the facial and oral structures of the fetus and may also allow a detailed evaluation of cleft lip and palate.

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