The role of a novel magnetic resonance imaging sequence in the evaluation of the fetal skeleton: A pilot study

Abstract

Objective: We aimed to study the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including a novel MRI sequence—the modified volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination (VIBE)—in the characterization of the fetal skeleton. This novel sequence was useful for reconstructing three-dimensional images of the skeleton. Materials and Methods: We enrolled 22 pregnant women whose fetuses had shown congenital abnormalities on ultrasound examinations. The women underwent prenatal fetal MRI in a 1.5-T scanner with a T2-weighted modified VIBE sequence. Three-dimensional reconstructions of the fetal skeleton were performed manually on the instrument itself or via an interactive pen-tablet workstation. Results: Three-dimensional reconstructions of the fetal skeleton were performed after the acquisition of modified VIBE MRI sequences, and it was possible to characterize the fetal skeleton in all MRI examinations. Conclusion: A detailed evaluation of the three-dimensional reconstructions of fetal skeleton performed after acquisition of a modified VIBE MRI sequence allowed a full characterization of the skeleton. However, improvements to the proposed sequence should be addressed in future studies.