Midtrimester chorionic villus sampling: an alternative approach?

OBJECTIVE

Our purpose was to audit midtrimester chorionic villus sampling after a positive maternal serum screening test for autosomal trisomy.

STUDY

DESIGN

From January 1990 until July 1993 chorionic villus sampling was offered to all screened positive women.

RESULTS

Five hundred fifty-one mothers had chorionic villus sampling. The mean age was 31.7 years. The mean gestational age was 18.2 weeks. The mean time for direct karyotyping was 4.4 days and for culture results 20.2 days. Results were obtained in 99.6% of samples: direct plus culture results in 94%, direct results alone in 2.3%, and culture results alone in 3.3%. Fourteen pregnancies had abnormal karyotypes. There were five cases of placental mosaicism and one false-positive result. The loss rate was 0.4%.

CONCLUSION

Midtrimester chorionic villus sampling, which is easier to perform than cordocentesis, provides a rapid and reliable karyotype. The complication rate is comparable to that of other invasive procedures.