title: Visualization of placental hypocirculation with typical patterns using conventional magnetic resonance imaging: Two case reports.
abstract: We report two cases of clinically suspected placental hypocirculation, as per evidenced by specific half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE) magnetic resonance findings of the whole placenta. Patient 1 was a case of fetal growth restriction caused by pregnancy-induced hypertension, while patient 2 experienced a discordant dichorionic diamniotic twin pregnancy with fetal growth restriction complication with a velamentous insertion of the umbilical cord in the smaller twin. In both cases, HASTE images showed noticeably decreased signal intensity with high-intensity signal spots present in the central region of the placenta. In the twin pregnancy case, the low-intensity signal area in the placenta of the smaller twin was much lower compared to that of the larger twin. Pathological findings failed to support or explain these observations. HASTE images might reflect compensatory alternation of the distribution of maternal blood and villus caused by hypocirculation. In conclusion, our results suggest that HASTE imaging might be a useful approach for the visualization of placental hypocirculation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Himoto
authors.forename: Aki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kido
authors.forename: Sachiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Minamiguchi
authors.forename: Haruta
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mogami
authors.forename: Ikuo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Konishi
authors.forename: Kaori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Togashi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D046110:Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D010920:Placenta / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D010927:Placental Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011247:Pregnancy; D059285:Pregnancy, Twin
keywords: fetal growth restriction; half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo; magnetic resonance imaging; placental hypocirculation; pregnancy-induced hypertension