Retrospective Analysis of Fetal Central Nervous System Anomalies Diagnosed Prenatally in a Tertiary Center

Objective: In our study, we aimed to emphasize the prevalence and characteristics of central nervous system (CNS) anomalies detected by fetal ultrasonography in normal and high-risk pregnant women admitted to our clinic.
Methods: In this retrospective analysis, cases who applied to University of Health Sciences Turkey, İzmir Tepecik Education and Research Hospital Perinatology Clinic between January 1, 2017 and January 1, 2021 and who were found to have CNS anomaly were included. The data of 81,163 pregnant women were analyzed. CNS anomaly was detected in 712 pregnant women.
Results: When all cases included in our study were examined, the median maternal age was calculated as 27.4 and the median of gestational weeks as 21.9. The median gravidas of the pregnant women were 2.4, and the median of the parities was 1.1. When all diagnoses were examined, ventriculomegaly (n=217, 30%) was the most common anomaly among the CNS anomalies. The second most common anomaly we detected was the cases of neural tube defect (n=95, 13.17%).
Conclusion: Termination option could not be offered to families for anomalies incompatible with life in pregnant women whose gestational weeks are more than 24 weeks. Some of the families who were offered the termination option did not accept the termination option due to cultural reasons and religious beliefs. For this reason, early diagnosis becomes important in the perinatal period in order to present this option to the family.