Importance of Fetal MRI in Evaluation of Craniofacial Deformities

Abstract

The MRI method in fetal patients allows to obtain more details regarding the CL-CLP studied, allowing the medical-surgical team to plan, before the birth, the type of postnatal assessment and surgery to be performed, thus minimizing the impact on neonatal health and improving quality of life of both the patient and his family.

Accurate diagnosis of fetal cleft lip/palate by typical signs of magnetic resonance imaging

“…In addition to US, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be very relevant for this condition, due to its high soft tissue resolution, large field of view, nonionizing radiation, and nonrestriction by fetal position and amniotic fluid . Although several studies have been conducted on the accuracy of US and MRI for the detection of fetal anomalies, there is no such study on the accuracy of MRI in determining the type of cleft . Although previous studies have reported on the diagnosis of cleft lip/palate by MRI, neither of them proposed a simple method for determining the type of orofacial cleft .…”

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Evaluation of Fetal Maxillary Sinuses

“…3 Arangio and colleagues 3 demonstrated that the MRI study of the fetus is indicated to confirm equivocal ultrasound findings to have a confident decision for management of pregnancy, to detect other anomalies that may change fetal prognosis or maternal management, to aid in planning fetal surgical treatment when necessary, and to plan the delivery. 3 All the examined fetuses' mothers, however, received diagnosis of a facial cleft palate and cleft lip and palate and other craniofacial malformations with prenatal US in that particular study. However, the question of whether there is a particular finding in fetal MRI that may point out the presence of craniofacial malformations in cases who have scanned for other reasons still remains to be answered.…”

“…3,4 In previous studies, fetal MRI was proven to be reliable in measuring craniofacial structures such as mandible height, coronal skull base, coronal skull cap, infraorbital foramina, piriform aperture height, piriform aperture width, mental foramina, intercondylar distances, maxillary dental arch biometry, and palate compared with direct anatomical and computed tomography measurements. 3,5,6 The documentation of normal timeline for fetal facial anatomy is important in detecting facial anomalies on MRI. In this context, the growth of fetal maxillary sinus (fMS) is coupled with the development of facial structures; therefore, prenatal detailed definition of the process would shed light on the postnatal development.…”

A Novel System for Navigation–and Robot-Assisted Craniofacial Surgery

“…1 Complications include those involving the function of the device itself or the soft tissue covering the hardware. Exposure of the electrode is 1 of the most serious complications that occur.…”

“…Operating on this region demands exceptional skill and dexterity from a surgeon. 1 The use of the robotics navigation system has several advantages compared with the traditional technique in terms of the following:…”