title: Cardiac MRI of the fetal heart using a novel triggering method: initial results in an animal model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate MRI of the fetal heart by way of a novel triggering method with the use of an MR-compatible cardiotocography (CTG) in an animal model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fetal cardiac MRI was performed on four pregnant ewes on a 1.5 Tesla (T) MR system. A CTG was rendered MR compatible and its signal was used for the triggering of the fetal heart to perform cardiac cine MRI of the fetal heart with maternal free-breathing with cine steady-state free precession. The left ventricular volume and function were measured from the short-axis (view). The image quality of anatomical structures was assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All cardiac valves and the foramen ovale could be visualized. Myocardial contraction was depicted in cine sequences. The average blood volume at the end systole was 1.7 mL (SD ± 0.12). The average volume at the end diastole was 4.6 mL (± 0.4); thus the average stroke volumes of the left ventricle were 2.87 mL (± 0.31) with ejection fractions of 60.53% (± 4.17).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The newly developed MR compatible CTG could be used as a tool for cardiac triggering method of the fetal heart. This novel device might help fetal cardiac MRI technology in the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. j.yamamura@uke.uni-hamburg.de
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yamamura
authors.forename: Inga
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kopp
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frisch
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Valett
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hecher
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Adam
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wedegärtner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000196:embryology*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D019028:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine / Q000379:methods*; D023421:Models, Animal; D011247:Pregnancy; D012756:Sheep