Fetal MRI

Abstract

Fetal MRI is a noninvasive method to study both fetal and maternal structures. MRI intervenes as a third-level exam, after the first- and second-level ultrasound imaging, with various aims: to confirm ultrasound diagnosis, to search for other possible associated anomalies, and to obtain the right information in order to do a prognostic prediction and give parents adequate counseling. There is no agreement on what concerns the risks of fetal MRI, so it is advisable not to execute the exam during the first trimester and not to administer contrast medium, to reduce potential risks for the developing fetus. MRI has been shown to be useful in the diagnosis of maternal diseases and complications during pregnancy such as gastrointestinal, renal, gynecological, and placental pathologies. MRI can depict very well the central nervous system of the fetus and so it is possible to detect many problems such as ventriculomegaly, medium line malformations, corpus callosum and posterior fossa abnormalities, cerebral infections, or ischemic and hemorrhagic injuries. Fetal magnetic resonance imaging is useful to diagnose fetal thoracic abnormalities that are a heterogeneous group of fetal lung diseases, including pulmonary hypoplasia, congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM), bronchopulmonary sequestration (BPS), bronchogenic cyst, and congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH).Since most abdominal pathologies are easily seen on prenatal ultrasound, the role of MRI in the abdomen is less clear than in the brain and in the thorax; therefore, magnetic resonance imaging can be used as a complementary imaging tool for the confirmation of ultrasonographic findings.