DIAGNOSTIC ANTENATAL DES MALFORMATIONS DU SYSTEME NERVEUX CENTRAL

Since the very start of using ultrasound to monitor pregnancy the information that the obstetrician has obtained from it has been great. Measuring the fetus (biparietal diameters, rump-crown length, etc.) makes it possible to check development of the fetus in the uterus, as well as to see the various organs and their position and internal structure. Real time pictures make it possible to visualise the organs precisely from the point of view of their position and their internal structures. We report 12 cases of malformations of the central nervous system which were diagnosed in utero and we point out the value of early diagnosis in pregnancy. The 12 cases we found included four of hydrocephaly, one cyst of the choroid plexus, one hydrencephaly, two cases of holoprosencephaly and four cases of anencephaly. Since these malformations may be part of generalised malformations it is important to search for them by ultrasound as well as by caryotyping and estimation of alpha-fetoprotein levels.