Prenatal diagnosis of a deletion of 18q in a fetus associated with multiple-marker screen positive results

We report here the observations of positive maternal serum screening tests for Down syndrome, cytogenetic and molecular analysis, and dysmorphic fetal features in a pregnancy with 18q - syndrome. A 33-year-old primigravida was referred for genetic counselling because of multiple-marker screen positive results. At 14 weeks' gestation. the woman had a Down syndrome risk of 1:107 calculated from a maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (MSAFP) level of 1.49 multiples of the median (MOM), a total human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) level of 2.42 MOM, and a serum unconjugated oestriol (uE(3)) level of 0.55 MOM. At 17 weeks' gestation, a repeat test showed a Down syndrome risk of 1:10 calculated from an MSAFP level of 1.09 MOM and a free beta-hCG level of 12.3 MOM. Genetic amniocentesis revealed a de novo deletion of 18q22.2-qter. Intrauterine fetal death occurred at 21 weeks' gestation. At birth, the fetus manifested clinical findings of the 18q - syndrome. The phenotype was correlated with the extent of the deletion. Linkage analysis of the family confirmed the extent and paternal origin of the deletion. (C) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.