Objectives To investigate whether sonographic identification of the fetal perianal muscular complex (PAMC) is of value in the prenatal detection of anorectal atresia in a high-risk population. Methods During an 8-year study period, a total of 189 pregnancies at high risk for fetal anorectal atresia were prospectively examined for the presence/absence of the PAMC on axial ultrasound views of the fetal perineum. The prenatal findings were confirmed postnatally or at the time of postmortem examination. Results The median gestational age at examination was 27 (range, 1537) weeks. The PAMC was identified in 175 fetuses, all of which had a normal anorectal canal at the time of delivery or at postmortem examination. The PAMC was not identified prenatally in the 14 remaining cases, and the anus was absent in 11 fetuses with anorectal atresia and in two with urorectal septum malformation sequence. There was one false-positive case, in which the anus was anatomically and functionally normal but ectopically located, opening into the vaginal vestibule. Among these 14 cases of anorectal malformation, prenatal dilatation of the distal bowel was seen in nine (64.3%) and intraluminal calcified meconium or enterolithiasis in five (35.7%). Overall, absent PAMC on prenatal sonography in this high-risk population had a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 99%, true-positive rate of 93% and false-positive rate of 7% for the diagnosis of anorectal atresia. Conclusions In a high-risk population, the absence of PAMC seems to be a highly sensitive and specific sonographic marker for anorectal atresia. The role of routine sonographic identification of the PAMC at the second-trimester scan to screen for cases of isolated anal atresia remains to be determined. Copyright (c) 2012 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.