[Morphological study of the removed fetus after therapeutic abortion for echographic anomalies (apropos of 42 cases)].

In 42 cases, fetal abnormalities were diagnosed by obstetric ultrasonography and the pregnancy was terminated. The malformations included: anencephaly (22), severe hydrocephaly (4, one with a spina bifida), encephalocele and meningocele (2) amniotic band syndrome (4; a correct prenatal diagnosis was performed during the second trimester in two cases), major anterior abdominal wall defects (2), Pena-Shokeir syndrome type I? (I), severe renal abnormalities (2), conjoined twins, dicephalus type (2), cystic hygroma and hydrops fetalis (2), osteogenesis imperfecta, type II (I). Thus, there were 23 fetuses with a polygenetically determined status; five fetuses could be affected by an autosomal recessive disorder.