Clinical interpretation and management of ultrasound “soft indicators” and “hard indicators”in prenatal ultrasound examination

LIANG Shuang, CHANG Ying

Chinese Journal of Practical Gynecology and Obstetrics ›› 2026, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (2) : 154-157.

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Chinese Journal of Practical Gynecology and Obstetrics ›› 2026, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (2) : 154-157. DOI: 10.19538/j.fk2026020107

Clinical interpretation and management of ultrasound “soft indicators” and “hard indicators”in prenatal ultrasound examination

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Abstract

Prenatal ultrasound examination is an important means for screening and evaluating fetal structures. With the improvement in resolution and the accumulation of evidence-based medicine,ultrasound indicators have evolved from empirical identification to refined management tools based on risk stratification. "Hard markers" serve as direct evidence of structural malformations and are clear indications for initiating invasive prenatal diagnosis and multidisciplinary treatment. "Soft markers", on the other hand,represent minor ultrasound manifestations,and the interpretation of their clinical significance is highly dependent on whether they occur in isolation,the background risk of the mother,and the results of related molecular genetic testing.On entering the era of molecular medicine,with the widespread application of non-invasive prenatal screening,chromosomal microarray technology,and high-throughput sequencing technology,clinicians should understand and master how to construct an integrated diagnosis and treatment model of "image recognition-risk stratification-molecular diagnosis-prognosis assessment-individualized counseling",and learn how to move from static image recognition to evidence-based quantification and from abnormal static records to systematic pathological reasoning.

Key words

prenatal ultrasound / soft markers / hard makers / genetic testing / risk stratification management

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LIANG Shuang , CHANG Ying. Clinical interpretation and management of ultrasound “soft indicators” and “hard indicators”in prenatal ultrasound examination[J]. Chinese Journal of Practical Gynecology and Obstetrics. 2026, 42(2): 154-157 https://doi.org/10.19538/j.fk2026020107

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Footnotes

利益冲突 所有作者均声明不存在利益冲突

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China—General Program(82571979)
High-level Talent Program of Tianjin Municipal Health Commission(TJWJ2024RC017)
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