Skip to main content
. 2017 Mar 15;2017(3):CD012600. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD012600

Summary of findings 2. Performance of other first trimester ultrasound markers alone or in combination with first trimester serum tests.

Test strategy Studies Women (Down's cases) Sensitivity* (95% CI) Specificity* (95% CI) Threshold
Without maternal age          
Ultrasound markers alone          
Aberrant right subclavian artery 1 425 (51) 8 (2, 19) 99 (98, 100) Feature
Frontomaxillary facial angle 1 242 (22) 18 (5, 40) 98 (95, 99) > 95th percentile
Presence of mitral gap 1 217 (20) 20 (6, 44) 87 (81, 91) Feature
Maxillary bone length 1 927 (88) 24 (15, 34) 95 (93, 96) 5th centile
Tricuspid regurgitation 1 312 (20) 50 (27, 73) 98 (96, 99) Feature
Iliac angle 90 degrees 1 2032 (52) 60 (45, 73) 98 (97, 98) Feature
Ductus venosus a‐wave reversed 1 378 (72) 68 (56, 79) 70 (64, 75) Feature
Ductus venosus pulsivity index 1 378 (72) 81 (70, 89) 58 (52, 63) > 95th percentile
NT and nasal bone 1 486 (38) 89 (75, 97) 93 (91, 95) Absent nasal bone and NT ≥ 95th centile
Ultrasound and double serum markers          
NT, free ßhCG and PAPP‐A 1 6508 (40) 90 (76, 97) 95 (95, 96) First trimester incidence rate 63.3%
With maternal age          
Ultrasound markers alone          
NT‐adjusted risk > 1:300 and abnormal ductus venosus flow and absent nasal bones 1 544 (47) 21 (11, 36) 100 (99, 100) 1:300 risk
NT and ductus 3 23,697 (177) 76 to 93 73 to 99 5% FPR, 1:250 risk, feature
NT and tricuspid blood flow 1 19,736 (122) 85 (78, 91) 97 (97, 98) 1:100 risk
Ultrasound and single serum markers          
NT and inhibin A 2 1150 (97) 61 to 75 95 to 96 5% FPR, 1:250 risk
NT and AFP 1 1110 (85) 61 (50, 72) 95 (94, 96) 5% FPR
NT and total hCG 1 1110 (85) 61 (50, 72) 95 (94, 96) 5% FPR
NT and ITA 1 278 (54) 80 (66, 89) 95 (91, 98) 5% FPR
Ultrasound and double serum markers          
NT, AFP and free ßhCG 2 2766 (90) 66 to 100 93 to 95 5% FPR, 1:250 risk
NT, PAPP‐A and inhibin A 2 1150 (97) 80 to 83 95 to 96 5% FPR, 1:250 risk
NT, total hCG and inhibin A 1 1110 (85) 62 (51, 73) 95 (94, 96) 5% FPR
NT, free ßhCG and inhibin A 1 1110 (85) 66 (55, 76) 95 (94, 96) 5% FPR
NT, free ßhCG and ADAM 12 1 351 (31) 68 (49, 83) 95 (92, 97) 5% FPR
NT, PAPP‐A and uE3 1 576 (24) 79 (58, 93) 95 (93, 97) 5% FPR
NT, total hCG and PAPP‐A 1 1110 (85) 80 (70, 88) 95 (94, 96) 5% FPR
NT, AFP and PAPP‐A 1 1110 (85) 80 (70, 88) 95 (94, 96) 5% FPR
NT, PAPP‐A and ITA 2 11,053 (77) 83 (73, 90) 95 5% FPR
NT, PAPP‐A and ADAM 12 2 1042 (77) 83 (73, 90) 95 5% FPR
Free ßhCG and PAPP‐A, if risk between 1:42 and 1:1000 (intermediate risk), NToffered, final composite risk !:250 1 10,189 (44) 89 (75, 96) 94 (94, 95) 1:250 risk
NT, ductus, free ßhCG and PAPP‐A 3 30,061 (212) 83 to 96 97 to 99 1:100 risk, 1:250 risk
NT, nasal bone, free ßhCG and PAPP‐A 3 41,842 (271) 89 to 94 95 to 98 5% FPR, 1:100 risk, 1:300 risk
NT, PAPP‐A, free ßhCG and ductus venosus pulsivity index 1 7,250 (66) 89 (79, 96) 95 (94, 95) 5% FPR
NT, tricuspid blood flow, free ßhCG and PAPP‐A 1 19,736 (122) 91 (84, 95) 97 (97, 98) 1:100 risk
NT, fetal heart rate, free ßhCG and PAPP‐A 2 76,385 (517) 92 (89, 94) 95 5% FPR
NT, fetal heart rate, nasal bone, free ßhCG and PAPP‐A 1 19,736 (122) 95 (90, 98) 96 (95, 96) 1:200 risk
NT, fetal heart rate, tricuspid blood flow, free ßhCG and PAPP‐A 1 19,736 (122) 96 (91, 99) 95 (95, 95) 5% FPR
NT, fetal heart rate, ductus, free ßhCG and PAPP‐A 1 19,614 (122) 97 (92, 99) 95 (95, 95) 5% FPR
Ultrasound and triple serum markers          
NT, AFP, free ßhCG and PAPP‐A 3 6789 (135) 73 to 84 95 5% FPR, 1:250 risk
NT, PAPP‐A, free ßhCG and PP13 1 998 (151) 77 (69, 83) 95 (93, 96) 5% FPR
NT, PAPP‐A, free ßhCG and total hCG 1 998 (151) 77 (69, 83) 95 (93, 96) 5% FPR
NT, total hCG, inhibin A and PAPP‐A 1 1110 (85) 81 (71, 89) 95 (94, 96) 5% FPR
NT, free ßhCG, inhibin A and PAPP‐A 1 1110 (85) 84 (74, 91) 95 (94, 96) 5% FPR
NT, PAPP‐A, free ßhCG and PGH 1 335 (74) 86 (77, 93) 95 (92, 97) 5% FPR
NT, PAPP‐A, free ßhCG and PIGF 2 1443 (221) 88 (70, 95) 95 5% FPR
NT, PAPP‐A, free ßhCG and GHBP 1 335 (74) 91 (81, 96) 95 (92, 97) 5% FPR
Ultrasound and quadruple serum markers          
NT, PAPP‐A, free ßhCG, ADAM 12 and PlGF 1 998 (151) 79 (72, 86) 95 (93, 96) 5% FPR
Ultrasound and quintuple serum markers          
NT, PAPP‐A, free ßhCG, ADAM 12, total hCG and PlGF 1 998 (151) 79 (72, 86) 95 (93, 96) 5% FPR
NT, total hCG, inhibin A, PAPP‐A, AFP and uE3 1 1110 (85) 84 (74, 91) 95 (94, 96) 5% FPR
NT, free ßhCG, inhibin A, PAPP‐A, AFP and uE3 1 1110 (85) 86 (77, 92) 95 (94, 96) 5% FPR
Ultrasound and sextuple serum markers          
NT, PAPP‐A, free ßhCG, ADAM 12, total hCG, PlGF and PP13 1 998 (151) 80 (73, 86) 95 (93, 96) 5% FPR

*Tests evaluated by at least one study are presented in the table. Where there were two studies at the same threshold, estimates of summary sensitivity and summary specificity were obtained by using univariate fixed‐effect logistic regression models to pool sensitivities and specificities separately. If the threshold used was a 5% FPR, then only the sensitivities were pooled. The range of sensitivities and specificities are presented where meta‐analysis was not performed because there were only two or three studies and no common threshold.