Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)

Toggle: English / Spanish

 

Video details

Do Not Remove This Text

Related Content


 

Anencephaly - Symptom

Alternative Names

Aprosencephaly with open cranium

Symptoms:

  • Absence of the skull
  • Absence of the brain (cerebral hemispheres and cerebellum)
  • Facial feature abnormalities
  • Heart defects

Signs and tests:

A pregnancy ultrasound is done to confirm the diagnosis. The ultrasound may reveal too much fluid is in the uterus. This condition is called polyhydramnios.

Other tests that may be done on the pregnant mother:

  • Amniocentesis (to look for increased levels of alpha-fetoprotein)
  • Alpha-fetoprotein level (increased levels suggest a neural tube defect)
  • Urine estriol level

A pre-pregnancy serum folic acid test may also be done.

  • Reviewed last on: 7/26/2007
  • Daniel Rauch, M.D., FAAP., Director, Pediatric Hospitalist Program, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.