title: Diagnostic problems in case of twin pregnancies: US vs. MRI study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To present an experience with twin pregnancies underlining the impact of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on diagnosis and management.
  
  
  METHODS
  There were 17 cases of twin pregnancies: nine monochorionic [including four monochorionic diamniotic and five monochorionic monoamniotic (conjoined twins)] and eight dichorionic. The MRI examinations were performed between 19 and 39 weeks of gestational age in two centers using 1.5 T scanners (GE Signa Excite and GE Signa HDxt; GE Healthcare, Waukesha, WI, USA), always after ultrasound (US). In the first period of our activity, SSFSE sequence in T2-weighted images (SSFSE/T2WI) was the main diagnostic tool supported by TSE or GRE T1-weighted images (T1WI). After upgrading the scanners, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), steady-state free precession (FIESTA), and echoplanar GRE imaging (EPIGRE) became available.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 11 cases (64.7%), MRI was superior to US and supplied additional information, including two cases in which pathology of the second twin suspected on US was ruled out on the basis of MRI. In six cases (35.3%) MRI confirmed US diagnosis and brought no new data.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MRI offers more detailed assessment of fetal pathology in cases of twin pregnancies, including conjoined twins, in which sonographic evaluation is more difficult than in single cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Institute of Mother and Child, Poland. m.figatowska@mp.pl
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bekiesinska-Figatowska
authors.forename: Izabela
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Herman-Sucharska
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Romaniuk-Doroszewska
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jaczynska
authors.forename: Mariusz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Furmanek
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bragoszewska
mesh_terms: D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004200:Diseases in Twins / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D059285:Pregnancy, Twin; D014428:Twins, Conjoined / Q000473:pathology; D014429:Twins, Dizygotic; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal