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AJNR - American Journal of Neuroradiology

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American Journal of Neuroradiology 27:1604-1611, September 2006
© 2006 American Society of Neuroradiology

Review Article

Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Fetal Brain and Spine: An Increasingly Important Tool in Prenatal Diagnosis, Part 1

O.A. Glenn^a and A.J. Barkovich^a

^a From the Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, Calif

Address correspondence to Orit A. Glenn, University of California, San Francisco, Department of Radiology, Box 0628, 505 Parnassus Ave, L-358, San Francisco, CA 94143-0628; e-mail: orit.glenn{at}radiology.ucsf.edu

SUMMARY: Fetal MR imaging is an increasingly available technique used to evaluate the fetal brain and spine. This is made possible by recent advances in technology, such as rapid pulse sequences, parallel imaging and advances in coil design. This provides a unique opportunity to evaluate processes that cannot be approached by any other current imaging technique and affords a unique opportunity for studying in vivo brain development and early diagnosis of congenital abnormalities inadequately visualized or undetectable by prenatal sonography. This 2-part review summarizes some of the latest developments in MR imaging of the fetal brain and spine and its application to prenatal diagnosis. This first part discusses the utility, safety, and technical aspects of fetal MR imaging, the appearance of normal fetal brain development, and the role of fetal MR imaging in the evaluation of fetal ventriculomegaly. The second part focuses on additional clinical applications of fetal MR imaging, including suspected abnormalities of the corpus callosum, malformations of cortical development, and spine abnormalities.

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