Prenatal thoracic MR imaging

Ultrasonography is the method of choice for prenatal malformation screening, but it does not always provide sufficient informations to allow a correct diagnosis or an adequate abnormality evaluation. Fetal MRImaging (MRI) indications are increasing in order to complete sonographic findings. It has been initially used for evaluation of cerebral abnormalities, but it is more and more applied to other fetal areas. An adequate analysis of fetal chest and abdomen can be obtained with fast T2 and T1 weighted sequences. This allows an easy diagnosis of congenital diaphragmatic hernia and an evaluation of the consequences on pulmonary growth. Other pulmonary malformations can be also easily identified (cystic adenoid malformation, sequestration, bonchogenic cyst, tracheal or bronchial atresia). Therefore, fetal thoracic MRI contributes to a better understanding and evaluation of fetal thoracic malformations, which is particularly useful for their postnatal management. (C) 2003 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS. Tons droits reserves.