Prenatal ultrasound manifestations and postnatal follow-up of fetuses with 22q11.2 microdeletion syndrome.
10.3760/cma.j.cn511374-20250818-00492
- Author:
Xiaofei LIU
1
;
Ya'nan WANG
;
Tizhen YAN
;
Shengli ZHANG
;
Yanchuan XIE
;
Jiwu LOU
;
Hongwei JIANG
Author Information
1. The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan 471000, China. jianghw@haust.edu.cn.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- MeSH:
Humans;
Female;
Pregnancy;
Ultrasonography, Prenatal;
DiGeorge Syndrome/genetics*;
Adult;
Male;
Follow-Up Studies;
Fetus/diagnostic imaging*;
Phenotype;
Infant, Newborn
- From:
Chinese Journal of Medical Genetics
2026;43(1):31-35
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE:To explore the prenatal and postnatal phenotypes of 22q11.2 microdeletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) and enhance clinical understanding of this condition.
METHODS:Data were collected from 86 fetuses diagnosed with 22q11.2DS at four prenatal diagnostic centers across China between January 2014 and August 2025. Prenatal imaging findings, pregnancy outcomes, and postnatal conditions were analyzed.
RESULTS:Among the 86 fetuses, complete ultrasound data were available for 65 cases. Cardiovascular abnormalities were observed in 42 cases, thymic hypoplasia or aplasia in 7 cases, urinary system anomalies in 6 cases, nuchal translucency (NT) thickening in 7 cases, butterfly vertebrae, clubfoot, omphalocele and diaphragmatic hernia in 1 case each, cleft lip and palate in 2 cases, and ultrasound soft markers in 13 cases. The parents of 9 fetuses opted to continue with the pregnancy. Among these, 6 showed no significant ultrasound abnormalities and no related phenotypes postnatally, while the remaining 3 exhibited ultrasound anomalies with postnatal manifestations including developmental delay, immunodeficiency, and cardiac defects.
CONCLUSION:Fetuses with 22q11.2DS may exhibit various ultrasound abnormalities in multiple systems before and after birth. In addition to cardiovascular anomalies, they may also present with thymic hypoplasia or aplasia, thickened NT, and urinary abnormalities. Fetuses with thickened NT or thymic anomalies should be closely monitored, and thymic assessment should be included in routine prenatal imaging evaluations. For fetuses with 22q11.2DS who show no ultrasound abnormalities, the risk of developing severe phenotypes after birth is relatively low, but occult palate clefts and psychiatric disorders cannot be ruled out. Due to limitations in sample size and follow-up duration, above conclusions require further validation through large-scale prospective studies.
