First Trimester Anomaly Scan—The Last Redoubt Won: Open Spina Bifida

Open spina bifida (OSB) is a non-lethal fetal anomaly, yet often leads to severe disability. Most cases of open spina bifida are detected at the second trimester fetal anomaly ultrasound scan. The 11 to 13 weeks of amenorrhea scan evolved over the last 20 years from essentially a dating scan, to a genetic scan, and recently to one which includes, in addition to the genetic markers, a basic checklist for examination of the whole fetal anatomy. The direct visualization of the spine at the first trimester (FT) scan remained difficult, despite the wider use of high-resolution ultrasound machines and the volumetric approach. Thus, indirect intracranial morphological markers for OSB were proposed to diagnose this neural tube defect. The present review aims to describe the specific anatomical feature of the spine and the posterior brain, both on parasagittal and on axial planes, recently proposed for the early detection of OSB. Specialists involved in the prenatal diagnosis will eventually elaborate in the future a screening protocol for OSB in the FT of pregnancy, using the most valuable and easy to obtain marker, in a single 2D plane. The offer of an early diagnosis of possible severe anomalies, such as OSB, is a tool enhancing the autonomy of the pregnant woman. How to cite this article Tudorache S, Iliescu DG, Turcu A, Florea M, Drăguşin R, Novac L, Nicolae C, Cernea D. First Trimester Anomaly Scan—The Last Redoubt Won: Open Spina Bifida. Donald School J Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2015;9(1):80-90.