Diagnosis of Trisomy 18 Using Spontaneously Dividing Cells from Fetal Umbilical Cord Blood: A Novel Approach for Rapid Late Second and Third Trimester Prenatal Diagnosis
Cytogenetic methodology recently developed by us allows spontaneously dividing cells in fetal cord blood to be used for rapid (24 hours) chromosome analysis. We utilized this methodology to diagnose trisomy 18 and facilitate clinical management in a 32-week pregnancy characterized by multiple fetal anomalies and intrauterine growth retardation.