Transverse limb deficiency of the upper extremities

In the final months of the year 2023, a ruling of the Austrian Supreme Court of Justice (OGH) caused concern and uncertainty among many colleagues specialized in prenatal ultrasound examinations. In short, an Austrian gynecologist was found liable for damages and is required to assume all child maintenance costs because he failed to detect the complete absence of the fetusʼs left arm (amelia) during multiple ultrasound examinations conducted in 2018 including first-trimester screening and second trimester anomaly scan (OGH 3 Ob 9/23 d dated 11/21/2023).

The circumstances of the failure to detect the malformation are not known to the author and will not be discussed further. However, the case is used as an example for investigating the following questions:

• Classification, etiology, and prevalence of transverse limb deficiency of the upper extremities

• Ability to visualize the extremities with ultrasound and detection rates of transverse limb deficiency of the upper extremities

• Quality criteria for sonographic screening examinations affecting the extremities

• Current legal approaches

• Consequences for physicians performing prenatal ultrasound examinations

Publikationsverlauf

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
04. Juni 2024

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