Volume development changes in the occipital lobe gyrus assessed by MRI in foetuses with isolated ventriculomegaly correlate with neurological development in infancy and early childhood

Abstract

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to systematically assess the occipital lobe grey and white matter volume of Isolated ventriculomegaly foetuses with MRI and to follow up on the neurodevelopment of participants. Method MRI was used to evaluate 37 IVM group foetuses and 37 control group foetuses. The volume of grey and white matter in each foetal occipital gyrus was manually segmented and compared, and neurodevelopment was followed up and assessed in infancy and early childhood. Results Compared with the control group, the volume of gray matter in occipital lobes increased in IVM group, and the incidence of neurodevelopmental delay increased. Conclusions We tested the hypothesis that antenatally diagnosed IVM represents a biological marker for development in foetal occipital lobe. The IVM group showed differences in occipital grey matter development and had a higher risk of neurodevelopmental delay.