Detecting Fetal Central Nervous System Anomalies Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Ultrasound

• Published in: Medical archives (Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina) Vol. 75; no. 1; pp. 45 - 49
• Main Authors: Linh, Le Tuan, Duc, Nguyen Minh, Nhung, Nguyen-Thi Hong, My, Thieu-Thi Tra, Luu, Doan Tien, Lenh, Bui Van
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bosnia and Herzegovina Academy of Medical Sciences of Bosnia and Herzegovina 01-02-2021
• Subjects: Agreements; Cysts; Female; Fetus - diagnostic imaging; Fetuses; Gestational age; Gynecology; Hemorrhage; Hospitals; Humans; Ischemia; Magnetic resonance imaging; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Male; Nervous system; Nervous System Malformations - diagnostic imaging; Obstetrics; Original Paper; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Trimester, Third; Prenatal care; Prenatal Diagnosis - methods; Prospective Studies; Review boards; Ultrasonic imaging; Ultrasonography, Prenatal - methods; New York; United States > US; Central nervous system abnormalities; MRI fetus; Prenatal diagnosis
• ISSN: 0350-199X; 1986-5961
• DOI: 10.5455/medarh.2021.75.45-49

Most fetal abnormalities can be detected on ultrasound, the evaluation of fetal CNS abnormalities can be limited by various factors, including obesity, polyhydramnios, multiple pregnancies, and increased cranial ossification during the third trimester.
This study aimed to evaluate the ability to detect fetal central nervous system (CNS) anomalies using
magnetic resonance imaging (iuMRI) and ultrasound (US) techniques.
This prospective study was approved by the institutional review board (Ref: 2968/QĐ-ĐHYHN dated 11 July 2019), and the requirement to obtain the informed consent of patients was waived. This study included 66 fetuses with diagnosed or suspected CNS abnormalities based on the results of a prenatal screening US performed at the antenatal diagnosis center of the Central Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital. All pregnant women with a suspected diagnosis of abnormal fetal CNS on US underwent 1.5-Tesla iuMRI within 14 days of the US at Hanoi Medical University Hospital between June 2019 and June 2020. Cohen's kappa coefficient (κ) was used to determine the agreement between US and iuMRI findings.
A total of 66 pregnant women were examined, including 66 fetuses, for which 79 abnormalities were detected by US and 98 abnormalities were detected by iuMRI. The average gestational age was 29 weeks and 6 days. The comparison of iuMRI and US findings revealed similar diagnoses for 71 abnormalities (67%) and different diagnoses for 35 abnormalities (33%). The level of agreement between US and iuMRI was almost perfect for ventriculomegaly and cystic lesions, with κ values 0.87 and 0.84, respectively. The level of agreement between US and iuMRI was the weakest for hemorrhage, with a κ value 0 (no agreement), and cortical abnormalities, with a κ value of 0.46 (weak agreement).
The level of agreement between US and iuMRI diagnoses was almost perfect for the detection of ventriculomegaly and was weakest for the detection of hemorrhage and cortical abnormalities, which were abnormalities detected by iuMRI but not by ultrasound.