The Role of Fetal Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Diagnosis of Fetal Ventriculomegaly and Ventricular System Associated Anomalies

Abstract

In this study, in patients who ventriculomegaly (VM) and the ventricular system associated anomalies with detected or suspected with ultrasonography, etiology and differential diagnosis can be made for the assessment, accompanied with other central nervous system (CNS) abnormalities, or ultrasound (US) to detect the anomalies of inadequate, aimed to investigate the role of fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Magnetic resonance imagines and reports that were applied to 80 pregnant women who have fetal ventriculomegaly and ventricular system associated anomalies or suspected anomaly after US between July 2008 and January 2011 were retrospectively evaluated. The ages of women in the study ranged from 17 to 45 (mean 27). Gestational age determined by date of last menstruation was between 18-35 weeks of gestation (mean 25 weeks). In our study, fetal MRI was performed because of isolated VM (n=39), combined VM (n=6), mega cisterna magna (n=11), colpocephaly, suspicion of corpus callosum agenesis (n=9), Dandy-Walker malformation/variant (n=9), dilation of the fourth ventricle (n=2), dilation of the third ventricle (n=3), monoventricle, holoprosencephaly (n=3), meningomyelocel (n=2) indications. Also, US was not performed in three patients because of morbid obesity, and lateral ventricles couldn't evaluated in one patient. MRI was performed in these patients and included in the study for showing the limitations of US. Fetal MRI changed the diagnosis in 23 cases (28.75%) and detected additional fndings in 28 cases (35%). MRI confrmed the pre-diagnosis with US in 29 cases (36.25%), additional anomalies were not detected but more anatomical detail was provided. Fetal MRI, with high contrast resolution, can provide more specifc information about the normal development in the evaluation of fetal brain and more anatomical detail and information in the presence of fetal ventriculomegaly and ventricular system associated anomalies and also provide contributions to directing pregnancies. © 2011 OMÜ Tüm haklari saklidir.