title: Magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluation of the fetal spinal canal contents.
abstract: Ultrasonography (US) remains the first method in the evaluation of fetal central nervous system (CNS) abnormalities but in case of the spinal canal and cord it is often insufficient since the bony structures may obscure these structures. Prenatal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is therefore the final noninvasive tool for the assessment of these malformations allowing for correction of sonographic findings, revealing the full extent of complex lesions and choosing the candidates for in utero treatment. The authors present the most frequent anomalies of spinal canal and spinal cord in the consecutive phases of pregnancy, illustrated with their own MR images, with reference to the literature and own experience. In 58 out of 252 fetuses examined due to suspicion of CNS anomalies (23.0%) the spinal canal and spinal cord abnormalities were found on MRI. The cases of diastematomyelia, myelomeningocele, tethered cord, caudal regression syndrome, anterior meningocele, cystic sacrococcygeal teratoma and syringohydromyelia are demonstrated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Institute of Mother and Child, Kasprzaka 17a, 01-211 Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Duczkowska
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bekiesinska-Figatowska
authors.forename: Izabela
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Herman-Sucharska
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Duczkowski
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Romaniuk-Doroszewska
authors.forename: Elzbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jurkiewicz
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dubis
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Urbanik
authors.forename: Mariusz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Furmanek
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Walecki
mesh_terms: D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000002:abnormalities*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D009421:Nervous System Malformations / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods; D013115:Spinal Canal / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal