[Gynecologic and cytogenetic aspects of prenatal diagnosis in the 1st trimester of pregnancy].

The article reports on a new method in prenatal diagnosis during the first three months of pregnancy. The gynaecological as well as the cytogenetic aspects are discussed on the basis of 74 transcervical trophoblast aspirations. Two different experimental preliminary examination series were conducted. In the first study, the failure rate in respect of recovery of material was 12.5%, whereas in the second examination series all aspirations were successful. Thanks to these favourable results, transcervical trophoblast aspiration was adopted as the only method used in prenatal diagnosis. In cytogenetic processing, direct chromosome preparation was found to be rather costly and time-consuming, whereas the short-term culture of chorionic villi usually yielded more favourable results in respect of mitotic rate and quality of the metaphase plates. It must be considered a drawback of transcervical trophoblast aspiration that it is not possible to conduct alpha-foetoprotein determination or determination of acetylcholine esterase as part of prenatal neural tube diagnosis. However, this can be subsequently done-with suitable disposition--during the 16th week of pregnancy, or can be replaced by a determination of alpha-foetoprotein in the serum of pregnant women.