PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - W T Yuh
AU  - H D Nguyen
AU  - D J Fisher
AU  - E T Tali
AU  - F Gao
AU  - T M Simonson
AU  - S C Kao
AU  - C P Weiner
TI  - MR of fetal central nervous system abnormalities.
DP  - 1994 Mar 01
TA  - American Journal of Neuroradiology
PG  - 459--464
VI  - 15
IP  - 3
4099  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/15/3/459.short
4100  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/15/3/459.full
SO  - Am. J. Neuroradiol.1994 Mar 01; 15
AB  - PURPOSE To investigate whether MR can provide additional information on fetuses with central nervous system abnormalities as demonstrated by ultrasonography. METHODS Fetal MR examinations were studied prospectively in 22 pregnant women whose fetuses showed evidence of anomalies on ultrasound performed in the High-Risk Obstetric Clinic. RESULTS In 19 of 22 cases, postpartum confirmatory diagnoses were obtained by MR or CT examinations, autopsy, or surgery. In general, the image quality of MR is comparable with that of ultrasound. However, in six of 22 cases (27%), MR provided additional information that altered the ultrasound diagnosis; these included cases of infarction, diastematomyelia, normal hemimegalencephaly with early myelination, Dandy-Walker variant, and lipoma. All of these cases had postpartum confirmation. The additional information changed the treatment in three of six patients (no intervention or elective abortion). CONCLUSIONS In certain situations MR can add valuable information to that obtained by sonography in the evaluation of the fetal central nervous system.