Post-mortem MRI of the foetal spine and spinal cord.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the findings of post-mortem magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the foetal spine with autopsy with a view to using post-mortem MRI as an alternative or adjunct to autopsy, particularly in foetal and neonatal cases.


METHODS
The brains and spines of 41 foetuses, with a gestational age range of 14-41 weeks, underwent post-mortem MRI before autopsy. Post-mortem MRI of the brain consisted of T2-weighted sequences in three orthogonal planes and MRI of the spine consisted of T2-weighted sequence in the sagittal and axial planes in all cases and coronal planes in selected cases.


RESULTS
Thirty of 41 (78%) foetal spines were found to be normal at autopsy and on post-mortem MRI. Eleven of 41 (22%) foetal spines were abnormal: eight foetuses had myelomeningocoeles and Chiari 2 deformities, one foetus had limited dorsal myeloschisis, one foetus had caudal regression syndrome, and one had diastematomyelia. The post-mortem MRI findings concurred with the autopsy findings in 10/11 of the abnormal cases, the disagreement being the case of diastematomyelia that was shown on post-mortem MRI but was not diagnosed at autopsy.


CONCLUSIONS
In this series, post-mortem MRI findings agreed with the autopsy findings in 40/41(98%) cases and in one case the post-mortem MRI demonstrated an abnormality not demonstrated at autopsy.
Widjaja
E
E
Academic Section of Radiology, Sheffield Children's Hospital, Sheffield, UK. elysa.widjaja@sickkids.ca
Whitby
E H
EH
Cohen
M
M
Paley
M N J
MN
Griffiths
P D
PD
D001344:Autopsy; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000196:embryology*; D013131:Spine / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000196:embryology*