Department of Radiology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Prenat Diagn. 2013 Apr;33(4):318-27. doi: 10.1002/pd.4070. Epub 2013 Mar 4.
To report on the feasibility of assessing cardiac structures on post-mortem 3-tesla MRI (pmMRI) and to provide morphometric data in fetuses without cardiac abnormalities.
Retrospective single center study on 3T pmMRI of 39 consecutive fetuses without cardiac abnormalities (13-38 weeks of gestation). Fetal cardiac anatomy was assessed and measurements of cardiac structures were performed on T2-weighted 3D multiplanar reconstructed images. Linear regression analysis was performed to examine changes of cardiac dimensions during gestation.
The four-chamber view of the fetal heart could be obtained and the measurements of cardiac chambers and ventricular walls could be performed in all 39 cases. The aorta and the pulmonary artery were visualized and their diameters were measured in 38 (97.4%) fetuses, ductus arteriosus in 32 (82%). All measurements showed strong linear correlation with gestational age. The relationship of the diameters of the pulmonary artery, aorta, and ductus arteriosus remained constant over pregnancy. All these observations are consistent with what is known from prenatal ultrasound.
The present study proves the feasibility of visualizing normal cardiac structures on 3-tesla pmMRI in fetuses beyond 14 weeks. We provide morphometric data that may enable diagnostic evaluation of cardiac abnormalities on pmMRI.
报告在死后 3T MRI（pmMRI）上评估心脏结构的可行性，并提供无心脏异常胎儿的形态计量学数据。
回顾性分析了 39 例连续无心脏异常胎儿的 3T pmMRI （13-38 孕周）。评估胎儿心脏解剖结构，并在 T2 加权三维多平面重建图像上进行心脏结构的测量。进行线性回归分析以检查妊娠期间心脏尺寸的变化。
所有 39 例均能获得胎儿心脏的四腔心切面，并能进行心腔和心室壁的测量。38 例（97.4%）胎儿可显示主动脉和肺动脉，并测量其直径，32 例（82%）胎儿可显示动脉导管。所有测量值与胎龄均呈强线性相关。肺动脉、主动脉和动脉导管的直径关系在整个孕期保持不变。所有这些观察结果与产前超声的结果一致。
本研究证明了在 14 周以上的胎儿中，在 3T pmMRI 上可视化正常心脏结构的可行性。我们提供的形态计量学数据可能使 pmMRI 能够对心脏异常进行诊断评估。
