MR of fetal central nervous system abnormalities.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether MR can provide additional information on fetuses with central nervous system abnormalities as demonstrated by ultrasonography.


METHODS
Fetal MR examinations were studied prospectively in 22 pregnant women whose fetuses showed evidence of anomalies on ultrasound performed in the High-Risk Obstetric Clinic.


RESULTS
In 19 of 22 cases, postpartum confirmatory diagnoses were obtained by MR or CT examinations, autopsy, or surgery. In general, the image quality of MR is comparable with that of ultrasound. However, in six of 22 cases (27%), MR provided additional information that altered the ultrasound diagnosis; these included cases of infarction, diastematomyelia, normal hemimegalencephaly with early myelination, Dandy-Walker variant, and lipoma. All of these cases had postpartum confirmation. The additional information changed the treatment in three of six patients (no intervention or elective abortion).


CONCLUSIONS
In certain situations MR can add valuable information to that obtained by sonography in the evaluation of the fetal central nervous system.
Yuh
W T
WT
Department of Radiology, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City 52242.
Nguyen
H D
HD
Fisher
D J
DJ
Tali
E T
ET
Gao
F
F
Simonson
T M
TM
Kao
S C
SC
Weiner
C P
CP
D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000196:embryology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal