Objective: To assess the factors that might influence the success rate, safety and reliability
of chorionic villus sampling.
Design: Analysis of the outcome of 350 cases of CVS (215 transabdominal and 135 transvaginal).
Setting: The outpatients prenatal diagnosis and therapy laboratory of a university
tertiary care centre.
Subjects: 350 pregnant women that underwent CVS for prenatal genetic diagnosis between 9 and
32 gestational week.
Results: Fetal genotype was the most common indication for CVS 45% (158/ 350). The overall
Sampling success rate was 98% (343/350).The majority of cases 92% (322/350) required
one or two aspirations. Out of 331 cases in which CVS was successful 305 continued
with pregnancy. 35 had therapeutic termination of Pregnancies and 10 resulted in spontaneous
abortion. There was an overall fetal loss rate of 1.7% (6/350). Early bleeding complication
occurred in 11.4% (40/350). PROM 0.86% (3/350) Preterm 5.1% (18/350), placenta disorder
1.1% (4/350) did not exceed the expect values.
Conclusion: CVS is a relatively safe and reliable method of prenatal genetic diagnosis. It must
be done by experienced personnel.
Acknowledgment: For the training of the Author/Grant, Prof. Dr. W.Holzgreve, Prof. P. Miny, Prof.
P. Horst (Basel/Munster, Germany) from DAAD/DFG Germany.
