[Antenatal ear examination: When, how and why?]

Gynecol Obstet Fertil Senol. 2022 Sep;50(9):624-637. doi: 10.1016/j.gofs.2022.05.005. Epub 2022 Jul 8.
[Article in French]

Abstract

Antenatal ear examination is an integral part of the thorough examination of the fetal face. The discovery of an anomaly, whether it is made by chance or during a complementary in-depth examination, leads the practitioner to determine its isolated or associated character, in order to characterise its possible belonging to a syndromic entity. In this context, the realization of genetic analysis more precise and wider allowing a return of the results in a time compatible with an evolutive pregnancy, gives to the geneticist a central role in the management of these couples. The main challenge lies in obtaining a set of concordant clinical and biological clues, enabling the genetic results identified to be interpreted correctly, the optimised functioning of the ultrasound practitioner - geneticist duo is therefore fundamental. This results in a complex information to deliver, in the fact that the clinical translation of an ear anomaly in antenatal can go from an isolated aesthetic anomaly to a genetic syndrome with neurodevelopmental disorder. The objective of this work is to describe, from a methodological analysis of antenatal ears, the accessible malformative entities, isolated or associated, and to discuss the problems in the need or not to propose their screening.

Keywords: Dysmorphologie: Échographie; Dysmorphology; Ear; Fetal; Fœtus; Oreille; Ultrasound.

MeSH terms

  • Female
  • Genetic Testing*
  • Humans
  • Mass Screening*
  • Pregnancy
  • Ultrasonography
  • Ultrasonography, Prenatal / methods