Sonography may provide prenatal diagnosis of neural tube defects and has become a routine part of prenatal care. Neural tube defects include malformations of the brain and spine. Among congenital anomalies, neural tube defects are second in incidence following cardiac defects. Laboratory tests combined with sonography are often able to diagnose the failure of the neural tube to fuse. Specific sonographic signs provide direct or indirect evidence of a neural tube defect.
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