Radiology, Vol 199, 447-450, Copyright © 1996 by Radiological Society of North America

ARTICLES

Agenesis of the corpus callosum: prenatal detection usually is not possible before 22 weeks of gestation

GL Bennett, B Bromley and BR Benacerraf
Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Mass., USA.

PURPOSE: To determine whether agenesis of the corpus callosum can be diagnosed prenatally with standard ultrasonographic (US) evaluation before 22 weeks of gestation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Initial scans obtained on or before 22 weeks and follow-up scans obtained in the third trimester were selected from all cases of agenesis of the corpus callosum diagnosed prenatally at the authors' laboratory. Follow-up was attained by means of review of the medical records and included imaging, karyotype, and clinical outcome. RESULTS: Among 15 fetuses with callosal agenesis confirmed by means of third-trimester scans, 10 had completely normal US scans at 16-22 weeks and five had other US abnormalities. Isolated callosal agenesis was identified in six children with normal development (except one with polydactyly). Among the others, four were developmentally delayed, three died, and two others had abnormal karyotype. CONCLUSION: Standard second-trimester US before 22 weeks of gestation may not show isolated callosal agenesis. Fetuses with this abnormality can have normal second-trimester scans and develop abnormal US findings in the third trimester.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D. Levine, H. A. Feldman, J. F. Kazan Tannus, J. A. Estroff, M. Magnino, C. D. Robson, T. Y. Poussaint, C. E. Barnewolt, T. S. Mehta, and R. L. Robertson Frequency and Cause of Disagreements in Diagnoses for Fetuses Referred for Ventriculomegaly Radiology, May 1, 2008; 247(2): 516 - 527. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. R. Benacerraf, T. D. Shipp, B. Bromley, and D. Levine What Does Magnetic Resonance Imaging Add to the Prenatal Sonographic Diagnosis of Ventriculomegaly? J. Ultrasound Med., November 1, 2007; 26(11): 1513 - 1522. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. E. Timor-Tritsch As Technology Evolves, So Should Its Application: Shortcomings of the "18-Week Anatomy Scan" J. Ultrasound Med., April 1, 2006; 25(4): 423 - 428. [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Levine, I. Trop, T. S. Mehta, and P. D. Barnes MR Imaging Appearance of Fetal Cerebral Ventricular Morphology Radiology, June 1, 2002; 223(3): 652 - 660. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Vaswani, W. F. Bennett, and J. G. Bova Case 3: Corpus Callosal Agenesis Am. J. Roentgenol., September 1, 2000; 175(3): 900 - 901. [Full Text]

				D. LEVINE, P. D. BARNES, J. R. MADSEN, J. ABBOTT, T. MEHTA, and R. R. EDELMAN Central Nervous System Abnormalities Assessed With Prenatal Magnetic Resonance Imaging Obstet. Gynecol., December 1, 1999; 94(6): 1011 - 1019. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]