Genomic microarrays in prenatal diagnosis

Core Tip

Core tip: Given its advantages over conventional karyotyping, there is an increasing interest in determining whether microarray technology will be similarly advantageous for the detection of fetal genomic imbalances in a prenatal setting. Several issues remain to be addressed, such as for which pregnancies comparative genomic hybridization-based arrays should be carried out (i.e., whether for all pregnancies or only for those with ultrasound abnormalities). Another area of uncertainty is the choice of array platform. This article aims to contribute to the discussions on genomic microarrays in prenatal diagnosis by examining the literature and existing guidelines, and giving an opinion on possible future developments and on how best to handle them.