Increased prevalence of abnormal vertebral patterning in fetuses and neonates with trisomy 21

Figures & data

Figure 1. Radiograph of a fetus with both rudimentary cervical ribs and absent 12th thoracic ribs.

Figure 2. The percentage of absent or rudimentary 12th thoracic ribs and cervical ribs in fetuses with trisomy 21 compared with controls.

Table 1. The reported prevalence of cervical ribs and absent 12th thoracic ribs in cases with trisomy 21, assessed on radiographs.

Reference	N	Study population	Agenesis of 12th thoracic rib(s)	Cervical ribs
Beber, 1965 [11]	36	Patients with trisomy 21, max 7 years old	11/36 (30.6%)	NR
Willich, 1977 [36]	101	Patients with trisomy 21, 1 day to 17 years old Six cases with mosaicism	18/95 (18.9%)	NR
Edwards, 1988 [12]	30	Infants with trisomy 21	11/30 (36.7%), 10 bilateral	NR
Keeling, 1999 [13]	8	Hydropic fetuses with trisomy 21, GA 14–30 weeks	3/8 (37.5%)	1/8 (12.5%)
Furtado, 2011 [14]	7	Stillbirths with trisomy 21, GA > = 20 weeks	NR	4/7 (57.1%)
Castori, 2015 [15]	102	Therapeutic second trimester abortions with trisomy 21	29/86 (33.7%)	41/86 (47.7%)

GA: gestational age; NR: not reported.

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