TRIPLE MARKER
Clinical significance
Triple Marker (Tests) are popular screening tests for fetal
chromosomal abnormalities and disease states. They are very sensitive and specific for the
disease they are done for.
Clinical applications
- Patients with increased risks can undergo more expensive and definitive testing.
- When a fetal anomaly is diagnosed, the most significant decision facing a patient is
whether, to opt for abortion or not.
For those mothers, philosophically or religiously opposed to abortion, the knowledge that a genital
defect is present and can aid in pregnancy
and delivery management.
- A large number of conditions are associated with abnormal results but, the major defects
that most programs are designed to detect are Neural tube defects, Down’s
Syndrome and Trisomy 18.
- It helps to identify about 8 % of patients with increased risk (3% at risk for Neural Tube Defects and 5 % at risk
for Down’s Syndromes), while
detecting 90% cases of Neural Tube
Defects, 60% of cases of Down’s
Syndrome and 60% cases of Trisomy 18.
The three tests done are
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