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Advancements in ultrasound technology and the integration of cell-free DNA testing into standard prenatal screening services have made it feasible to identify fetal sex at an early stage. Fetal sex determination through sonography relies on different factors depending on the gestational stage. In the late second trimester, it is determined by directly visualizing the external genitalia. However, in the late first and early second trimester, it primarily relies on the direction of the genital tubercle, known as the “sagittal sign”. Other sonographic landmarks, like the fetal scrotum, midline raphe of the penis, labial lines, uterus, descended testis and the direction/ origin of the fetal micturition jet in males, can aid in the accurate fetal sex determination. However, malformed external genitalia can lead to inaccurate results. This article focuses on the sonographic determination of fetal sex during the late first trimester, early second trimester and late second trimester, using both transvaginal and transabdominal ultrasound techniques. Additionally, we explore various elements that have contributed to the accuracy of fetal sex determination. While ultrasound examination of the external genitalia is typically sufficient, there are certain situations where it becomes crucial to identify the internal genitalia for precise prenatal diagnosis and thorough counseling. This paper aims to review these situations in which the evaluation of the internal genital organs is necessary, as well as the ways in which ultrasound can be used in the diagnosis of genital malformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advancements in ultrasound technology and the integration of cell free DNA testing into standard prenatal screening services have made it feasible to identify fetal sex at an early stage. Fetal sex determination through sonography relies on different factors depending on the gestational stage. In the late second trimester, it is determined by directly visualizing the external genitalia. However, in the late first and early second trimester, it primarily relies on the direction of the genital tubercle, known as the “sagittal sign”. Other sonographic land marks, like the fetal scrotum, midlineraphe of the penis, labial lines, uterus, descended testis and the direction/ origin of the fetal micturitionjet in males, can aid in the accurate fetal sex determination. However, malformed external genitalia can lead to inaccurate results. This article focuses on the sonographic determination of fetal sex during the late first trimester, early second trimester and late second trimester, using both transvaginal and transabdominal ultrasound techniques. Additionally, we explore various elements that have contributed to the accuracy of fetal sex determination. While ultrasound examination of the external genitalia is typically sufficient, there are certain situations where it becomes crucial to identify the internal genitalia for precise prenatal diagnosis and thorough counseling. This paper aims to review these situations in which the evaluation of the internal genital organs is necessary, as well as the ways in which ultrasound can be used in the diagnosis of genital malformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transvaginal ultrasound and serum concentration of human chorionic gonadotropin are the main methods of prognostic evaluation of early pregnancies. Although these pregnancy investigation methods have proven their benefits, the interpretation is fundamental for a correct diagnosis, in order to avoid interventions that may affect pregnancies that would normally have had a physiologic course, as well as to apply an appropriate management in the case of nonviable pregnancies. Recent studies have shown the need to adopt rigorous criteria that minimize false positive results and thus decrease the frequency of diagnostic errors. Over time, a series of ultrasound features have been described which have proven effective in predicting nonviable pregnancies in the first trimester (cranio-caudal length in relation to the presence or absence of cardiac activity, yolk sac diameter, gestational sac diameter in relation to presence or absence of embryo with cardiac activity, embryonic heart rate, subchorionic hematoma etc.). In the context of the new prospects for the development of artificial intelligence softwares, the present work focuses on the description of the precise ultrasonographic aspects aboded by the latest studies that propose certain cut-off values dependent on the gestational age of the ultrasound parameters in the first trimester, increasing the sensitivity and the specificity of ultrasound in the diagnosis of nonviable early pregnancies, thus aiming to improve the reproductive prognosis of couples with recurrent abortions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advancements in ultrasound technology and the integration of cell-free DNA testing into standard prenatal screening services have made it more feasible to identify fetal sex at an early stage. Fetal sex determination through sonography relies on different factors, depending on the gestational stage. In the late second trimester, it is determined by directly visualizing the external genitalia. However, in the late first and early second trimesters, it primarily relies on the direction of the genital tubercle, known as the sagittal sign. Other sonographic landmarks, like the fetal scrotum, midline raphe of the penis, labial lines, uterus, descended testis, and the direction or origin of the fetal micturition jet in males, can aid in the fetal sex determination accuracy. However, malformed external genitalia can lead to inaccurate results. This article focuses on the sonographic determination of fetal sex during the late first trimester, early second trimester and late second trimester, utilizing both transvaginal and transabdominal ultrasound techniques. Additionally, we explore various elements that have contributed to the precision of fetal sex determination. While ultrasound examination of the external genitalia is typically sufficient, there are certain situations where it becomes crucial to identify the internal genitalia for precise prenatal diagnosis and thorough counseling. This paper aims at reviewing these situations in which the evaluation of the external genital organs is necessary, as well as the ways in which ultrasound can be used in the diagnosis of genital malformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]