title: Usefulness of additional fetal magnetic resonance imaging in the prenatal diagnosis of congenital abnormalities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to compare the value of fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with detailed ultrasound in the prenatal diagnosis of congenital abnormalities.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective study reviewed the medical records of pregnant women and their neonates who, after ultrasound, were suspected to have congenital abnormalities. They then underwent a detailed ultrasound examination and a fetal MRI in our institutions. Fetal MRI was performed in 81 cases. Each prenatal presumptive diagnosis, based on detailed ultrasound examination and fetal MRI, was compared with the postnatal confirmed diagnosis. In 58 cases, the data collected were confirmed by the postnatal diagnosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Supplemental information from fetal MRI was useful in 17 of the 22 cases involving the central nervous system (CNS), two of two cases involving the thorax, nine of nine cases involving the genitourinary system, two of eight cases involving the gastrointestinal system, and ten of ten cases involving complex malformations. Fetal MRI did not provide significantly useful information or facilitate a more accurate diagnosis except for CNS abnormalities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fetal MRI was not superior to an ultrasound examination in the prenatal detection of congenital abnormalities. A detailed ultrasound examination performed by experienced obstetricians had satisfactory accuracy in the diagnosis of fetal abnormalities compared with fetal MRI. Fetal MRI might be useful in appropriate cases in Korea. Greater effort is required to increase the ultrasound knowledge and skill of competent obstetricians.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea. sunnywe@catholic.ac.kr
authors.forename: Ji Sun
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: We
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: In Yang
authors.initials: IY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jong Chul
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Soo Ah
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Im
mesh_terms: D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000002:abnormalities; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004065:Digestive System Abnormalities / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009139:Musculoskeletal Abnormalities / Q000175:diagnosis; D009421:Nervous System Malformations / Q000175:diagnosis; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013909:Thorax / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D014564:Urogenital Abnormalities / Q000175:diagnosis