Prenatal diagnosis in pregnancies at risk for Joubert syndrome by ultrasound and MRI

OBJECTIVES: To describe the prenatal imaging findings in fetuses at risk for Joubert syndrome (JS), review the literature and propose a protocol for prenatal diagnosis of JS using ultrasound and MRI. METHODS: We reviewed prenatal ultrasound and fetal MRI studies in two pregnancies at 25% recurrence risk for JS and correlated these findings with gross neuropathology in one affected fetus. RESULTS: While abnormalities such as occipital encephalocele or enlarged cisterna magna have been identified before mid-trimester, the definitive diagnosis of JS, based on core cerebellar findings, has only been possible after 17 weeks' gestation. CONCLUSIONS: With longitudinal monitoring, it is possible to diagnose JS in at-risk pregnancies before 24 weeks' gestation. On the basis of our data and review of the literature, we propose a protocol for monitoring pregnancies at risk for JS, utilizing serial ultrasounds combined with fetal MRI at 20-22 weeks' gestation to maximize the accuracy of prenatal diagnosis.