Contribution of MRI to Detect Further Anomalies in Fetal Ventriculomegaly

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the contribution of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in detecting further anomalies in fetal ventriculomegaly (VM). Methods: From March 2006 to March 2008, fasting MRI scanning was performed on 70 women in whom ultrasonography (US) diagnosed fetal VM at Shengjing Hospital affiliated to the China Medical University. The US and MRIs were then compared. Result: US diagnosed 41 cases of unilateral VM and 29 cases of bilateral VM; 51 cases (72.86%) being mild, 17 cases moderate and 2 cases severe VM. Eight fetuses showed additional brain hemorrhage and other anomalies on MRI. Among these 8 cases, 1 (2.44%, 1/41) had unilateral VM, whereas 7 (24.13%, 7/29) had bilateral VM (Fisher’s exact test, p = 0.007). On the other hand, 2 of 8 cases (25%) had mild VM, whereas 6 of 8 cases (75%) had moderate/severe VM (Fisher’s exact test, p = 0.002). Conclusion: MRI mainly modified the US diagnoses when the fetus had bilateral VM or moderate/severe VM. The most common additional diagnosis was brain hemorrhage.

Prognosis of fetuses with ventriculomegaly: An observational retrospective study

“…It is not affected by maternal obesity, amniotic fluid volume, or fetal position and can be used to identify cortical malformation and corpus callosum abnormality. Therefore, since Smith et al first introduced the technique for the visualization of in utero fetal status in 1983, MRI has been used to monitor fetuses with lateral ventricular dilatation, especially in cases with accompanying abnormalities …”

Isolated ventriculomegaly on prenatal ultrasound: What does fetal MRI add?

“…Although there appears to be good agreement between US and PMRI about the degree of VM, additional structural abnormalities have been demonstrated by MRI in 5–44% of cases when US demonstrated IVM . The few studies that have analysed the additional diagnostic information provided by PMRI in the setting of IVM on midtrimester US have been heterogeneous in design.…”

Magnetic resonance imaging of the fetal brain

“…Fetal MR imaging has been shown to have a high sensitivity and specificity for these brain abnormalities 18 that may be occult and unidentified on sonography. 25,34,[38][39][40] These data highlight the role of fetal MR imaging in the prognostication of ventriculomegaly, and have significant implications Abbreviations: DWI = diffusion-weighted imaging; EPI = echo-planar imaging; ETL = echo train length; FOV = field of view; MR = magnetic resonance; NEX = number of excitations; SNAPIR = snap-shot inversion recovery; SSh TFE = single-shot turbo field-echo; SSh TSE = single-shot turbo spin-echo; TE = echo time; TI = inversion time; TR = repetition time; wrt = with respect to on parental counselling and perinatal management.…”