Open<unk>  can usually be detected during pregnancy by fetal ultrasound. Increased levels of maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (MSAFP) should be followed up by two tests – an ultrasound of the fetal<unk>  and amniocentesis of the mother's amniotic fluid (to test for alpha-fetoprotein and acetylcholinesterase). AFP tests are now mandated by some state laws (including California) and failure to provide them can have legal ramifications. In one case, a man born with<unk>  was awarded a $2-million settlement after court found his mother's OBGYN negligent for not performing these tests.<unk>  may be associated with other malformations as in dysmorphic syndromes, often resulting in spontaneous miscarriage. In the majority of cases, though,<unk>  is an isolated malformation. Genetic counseling and further genetic testing, such as amniocentesis, may be offered during the pregnancy, as some neural tube defects are associated with genetic disorders such as trisomy 18. Ultrasound screening for<unk>  is partly responsible for the decline in new cases, because many pregnancies are terminated out of fear that a newborn might have a poor future quality of life. With modern medical care, the quality of life of patients has greatly improved. File:3D sonogram of fetal<unk> .Three-dimensional ultrasound image of the fetal<unk>  at 21 weeks of pregnancy File:Spina<unk>  lombare sagittale.theora.Ultrasound view of the fetal<unk>  at 21 weeks of pregnancy. In the longitudinal scan a lumbar myelomeningocele is seen. File:Lemon and banana sign for neural tube defect Dr Wolfgang Moroder.theora.Anatomy scan of the fetal head at 20 weeks of pregnancy in a fetus affected by<unk> . In the axial scan the characteristic lemon sign and banana sign are seen.
Spina bifida
Teratoma
Hydranencephaly
Anencephaly
Lissencephaly
Exencephaly
Schizencephaly
Cranioschisis