Normative biometry of the fetal brain using magnetic resonance imaging

Abstract

The fetal brain shows accelerated growth in the latter half of gestation, and these changes can be captured by 2D and 3D biometry measurements. The aim of this study was to quantify brain growth in normal fetuses using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and to produce reference biometry data and a freely available centile calculator (https://www.developingbrain.co.uk/fetalcentiles/). A total of 127 MRI examinations (1.5 T) of fetuses with a normal brain appearance (21–38 gestational weeks) were included in this study. 2D and 3D biometric parameters were measured from slice-to-volume reconstructed images, including 3D measurements of supratentorial brain tissue, lateral ventricles, cortex, cerebellum and extra-cerebral CSF and 2D measurements of brain biparietal diameter and fronto-occipital length, skull biparietal diameter and occipitofrontal diameter, head circumference, transverse cerebellar diameter, extra-cerebral CSF, ventricular atrial diameter, and vermis height, width, and area. Centiles were constructed for each measurement. All participants were invited for developmental follow-up. All 2D and 3D measurements, except for atrial diameter, showed a significant positive correlation with gestational age. There was a sex effect on left and total lateral ventricular volumes and the degree of ventricular asymmetry. The 5th, 50th, and 95th centiles and a centile calculator were produced. Developmental follow-up was available for 73.1% of cases [mean chronological age 27.4 (±10.2) months]. We present normative reference charts for fetal brain MRI biometry at 21–38 gestational weeks. Developing growth trajectories will aid in the better understanding of normal fetal brain growth and subsequently of deviations from typical development in high-risk pregnancies or following premature delivery.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00429-016-1342-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Neurodevelopmental outcome of fetal isolated ventricular asymmetry without dilation: a cohort study

“…In a MRI‐based study, Kyriakopoulou et al . found a mean difference of 17.9% in ventricular volumes in normal fetuses. However, the clinical significance of large asymmetry (≥ 2 mm diameter difference) is unclear.…”

Annual Research Review: Not just a small adult brain: understanding later neurodevelopment through imaging the neonatal brain

“…These atlases specifically adapted to the developing brain have eased the arduous task of manually delineating regions and tissue types (Gousias et al., ; Kuklisova‐Murgasova et al., ; Shi et al., ). In addition, a natural extension of age‐specific atlases has been the creation of continuous atlases of brain development, characterised by formal models of image intensity, tissue position and tissue volume (Dean III et al., ; Kuklisova‐Murgasova et al., ; Kyriakopoulou et al., ; Makropoulos et al., ). These models in particular have provided the opportunity to develop regional normative ‘charts’ of development throughout the brain, allowing the calculation of percentiles (Holland et al., ), akin to head circumference charts.…”

Fetal MRI findings in a retrospective cohort of 26 cases of prenatally diagnosed CHARGE syndrome individuals

“…Other CNS anomalies included the following: VMG, defined by a ventricular diameter greater than 10 mm, in six cases (100%) and short corpus callosum, defined smaller than the fifth percentile, in three cases.…”