Acquired Brain Pathology

Abstract

Acute brain injury is rarely seen, but salient features include acute hemorrhage, thrombosis, and localized or general edema. Findings are rarely specific with regard to etiology. In addition to maternal disease, risk factors for acquired brain lesions include disorders of the placenta and/or umbilical cord, exposure to toxic agents, metabolic disease, iatrogenic hazards, fetal cardiovascular disease, and space-occupying lesions. Most often, defective stages are found, characterized by local or diffuse tissue loss, and/or hemorrhagic residuals, and/or calcification. In order to describe an acquired lesion most accurately, in addition to T2-weighted sequences, T1-weighted, diffusion-weighted, and echoplanar (or T2*) information is necessary. In case of suspected infection, the whole fetus and the extrafetal structures must be screened for pathological changes.