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Prenatal Ultrasound: Head and Neck

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Pediatric Neuroradiology

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Abstract

Appraisal of the fetal cranium includes an assessment of both size and shape. Size can be ascertained by calculating the biparietal and occipito-frontal diameters, head circumference, and other basic body measurements and their ratios, which disclose important irregularities when plotted on morphometric growth curves. Serial axial, coronal, and sagittal scans determine whether the shape of the cranium deviates from the norm and provide appreciation of signs of cranial dysmorphology. The recognition of craniofacial anomalies suggests an accurate fetal anatomic evaluation also for minor abnormalities, as these may be a marker of a syndrome, a sequence, or an isolated or more generalized disorder.

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  1. Center of Fetal and Perinatal Medicine, Galliera Civic Hospital, Genoa, Italy

    Mario Lituania MD (Director) & Ubaldo Passamonti MD

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Lituania, M., Passamonti, U. (2005). Prenatal Ultrasound: Head and Neck. In: Pediatric Neuroradiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-26398-5_37

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-26398-5_37

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