MRI diagnosis of the central nervous system anomalies in the fetus

Abstract

With recent advances in molecular genetics, MRI diagnosis of congenital CNS malformations has become more important. In this review, to promote more accurate MRI diagnoses, we present some anomaly groups such as spinal cystic anomalies with or without Chiari II malformation, infratentorial midline cystic malformations (i.e. Dandy-Walker cyst/variant vs. Blake’s pouch cyst), and supratentorial dorsal cyst malformations (i.e. Callosal agenesis/hypogenesis with communicating interhemispheric cyst vs. holoprosencephaly with dorsal sac), that have similar morphological features, and explain the morphogenetic differences in these anomalies based on embryologic considerations.