[Fetal MRI practices in a university prenatal center].
OBJECTIVE
Fetal MRI is a third intention examination to prenatal diagnosis. If its diagnostic value is well known in many pathologies, its place in the management of pregnancies remains unclear.


METHODS
We collected retrospectively demographical, radiological (fetal MRI indications, fetal anatomical region and diagnostic information provided by fetal MRI) and obstetrical data of pregnant patients in university prenatal center during a 5 years' period.


RESULTS
Among 2439 patients of the prenatal center, 196 (8%) patients with fetal MRI were included. The main anatomical regions studied were the brain (n=132, 67%), the thorax (n=31, 16%) and the abdomen (n=25, 13%). No cardiac fetal MRI was performed. Ninety-five percent of fetal MRI was consecutively of an ultrasound sign. Fetal brain MRI was abnormal in 65% of cases, the thoracic and abdominopelvic MRI in 81.5%. The ultrasound diagnosis was unchanged in 42%, completed in 50% and redirected in 8% of cases. A termination of pregnancy was deemed admissible in 31% of patients with MRI versus 21% in patients without MRI (P=0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Fetal MRI requires selective indications and provides additional diagnostic information with important implications for the future of the pregnancy, particularly in case of severe and incurable pathologies. Our results could be useful as a reference basis for the comparison with others prenatal center practices.
Radiologie pédiatrique, hôpital Clocheville, CHRU de Tours, 49, boulevard Béranger, 37044 Tours cedex 9, France.
A
A
Fievet
Radiologie pédiatrique, hôpital Clocheville, CHRU de Tours, 49, boulevard Béranger, 37044 Tours cedex 9, France; Faculté de médecine, université François-Rabelais, 10, boulevard Tonnellé, 37044 Tours cedex 9, France. Electronic address: bamorel@univ-tours.fr.
B
B
Morel
Radiologie pédiatrique, hôpital Clocheville, CHRU de Tours, 49, boulevard Béranger, 37044 Tours cedex 9, France.
C
C
Sembély-Taveau
Médecine interne, hôpital Bretonneau, CHRU de Tours, 10, boulevard Tonnellé, 37044 Tours cedex 9, France.
B
B
Thoreau
Faculté de médecine, université François-Rabelais, 10, boulevard Tonnellé, 37044 Tours cedex 9, France; Pôle de gynécologie-obstétrique, médecine fœtale, médecine et biologie de la reproduction, centre Olympe-de-Gouges, hôpital Bretonneau, CHRU de Tours, 10, boulevard Tonnellé, 37044 Tours cedex 9, France.
F
F
Perrotin
Radiologie pédiatrique, hôpital Clocheville, CHRU de Tours, 49, boulevard Béranger, 37044 Tours cedex 9, France; Faculté de médecine, université François-Rabelais, 10, boulevard Tonnellé, 37044 Tours cedex 9, France.
D
D
Sirinelli
D000005:Abdomen / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000196:embryology; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000196:embryology; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005333:Fetus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013909:Thorax / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000196:embryology
Diagnostic prénatal; Fetal MRI; IRM fœtale; Pediatric radiology; Prenatal diagnosis; Prenatal ultrasound; Radiologie pédiatrique; Échographie obstétricale