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Utility of prenatal MRI in the evaluation and management of fetal ventriculomegaly

Journal of Perinatology volume 38, pages 1444–1452 (2018)Cite this article

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Abstract

Objective

Fetal ventriculomegaly may occur in isolation or as part of a broader syndrome. We aimed to determine the added value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for informing the pre-natal and postnatal care of pregnancies complicated by ventriculomegaly (VM).

Study design

Retrospective analysis of all cases of prenatally diagnosed VM referred to the fetal center at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford 1/1/2009–6/1/2014 were reviewed. Ultrasound (US) and MRI findings were reviewed, and the added yield of MRI evaluated.

Results

A total of 91 cases of fetal VM were identified and 74 (81%) underwent MRI. In 62/74 (84%) cases, additional CNS or non-CNS findings, not seen on US, were discovered on MRI, of which 58 were CNS-related. Forty-six (62%) of the additional findings were considered clinically relevant, of which 45 were CNS-related.

Conclusion

Fetal MRI identifies additional, clinically relevant CNS and non-CNS findings in a majority of cases of VM following initial US.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by a Medical Scholars Research Program grant from Stanford University School of Medicine (JAK).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Jenna A. Katz

  2. Fetal and Pregnancy Health Program, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, Palo Alto, CA, USA

    Jenna A. Katz, Valerie Y. Chock, Alexis S. Davis, Yair J. Blumenfeld, Jin S. Hahn, Richard A. Barth, Erika Rubesova & Susan R. Hintz

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA

    Valerie Y. Chock, Alexis S. Davis & Susan R. Hintz

  4. Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA

    Yair J. Blumenfeld

  5. Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA

    Jin S. Hahn

  6. Department of Radiology, Pediatric and Fetal Imaging, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA

    Patrick Barnes, Richard A. Barth & Erika Rubesova

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  1. Jenna A. Katz
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Correspondence to Susan R. Hintz.

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Katz, J.A., Chock, V.Y., Davis, A.S. et al. Utility of prenatal MRI in the evaluation and management of fetal ventriculomegaly. J Perinatol 38, 1444–1452 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-018-0208-6

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