title: Role of magnetic resonance imaging in the prenatal diagnosis of gastrointestinal fetal anomalies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was done to evaluate the role of fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the study of gastrointestinal malformations in comparison to prenatal ultrasound (US).
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective (2010-2012) study of 38 fetal MRI scans was performed on 38 fetuses between 24 and 38 weeks of gestation. All the fetuses had a US diagnosis of gastrointestinal anomalies. T2-weighted HASTE, T1-weighted fast gradient echo, TrueFISP and diffusion-weighted images of the fetal abdomen were obtained on a 1.5-Tesla magnet. All fetal MRI diagnoses were compared with postnatal US findings, autopsy or surgical reports.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fetal MRI was able to confirm the sonographic findings in nine of 38 fetuses (23.7%), to provide additional information in 23 of 38 fetuses (60.6%), to exclude the US diagnosis in five cases (5.2%) and to change it in two cases (5.2%). It was not able to characterize a case of gastric duplication and a case of abdominal cystic lymphangioma (5.2%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fetal MRI can be used as a complementary imaging modality to US in prenatal evaluation of gastrointestinal anomalies and can be considered a valuable tool not only for confirming or excluding but also for providing additional information to fetal ultrasonographic findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiological Oncological and Anatomopathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy, lucia.manganaro@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Manganaro
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saldari
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bernardo
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vinci
authors.forename: Camilla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aliberti
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sollazzo
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giancotti
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Capozza
authors.forename: Maria G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Porpora
authors.forename: Denis A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Cozzi
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Catalano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000002:abnormalities*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal