nuchal thickness scan

(noun)

A sonographic prenatal screening scan (ultrasound) to help identify any high risks of chromosomal defects, including Down's Syndrome in a fetus, particularly for older women who have higher risks of such pregnancies.

Related Terms

Examples of nuchal thickness scan in the following topics:

  • Prenatal Diagnostic Tests

    • At about 6 weeks of pregnancy, an ultrasound dating scan may be offered to help confirm the gestational age of the embryo and check if a single or twin pregnancy exists, but such a scan is unable to detect common abnormalities.
    • Around weeks 10–11, a nuchal thickness scan (NT) may be offered, which can be combined with blood tests that correlate with chromosomal abnormalities.

  • Blood-Brain Barrier

    • It was not until the introduction of the scanning electron microscope that the actual membrane could be observed and proven to exist.
    • This barrier also includes a thick basement membrane and astrocyte cell projections called astrocytic feet (forming the thin barrier called the glia limitans) that surround the endothelial cells of the BBB, providing biochemical support to those cells.