The examination of the face is an important part of the evaluation of the entire fetus although, until recently, images of the face were not part of the standard screening ultrasound examination of the fetus.
The examination of the face includes the detection of cleft lip and palate, looking at the upper lip as well as the hard and soft palates. It is also possible to detect specific facial clefts, such as those associated with holoprosencephaly, amniotic band syndrome, and hemifacial microsomia. Other facial defects that are detectable sonographically include hypotelorism, hypertelorism, microopthalmia, micrognathia, maxillary hypoplasia, abnormalities of the fetal sutures and of the fetal ears.
The detection of specific syndromes depends upon the recognition of patterns of these malformations.