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Postmortem MR imaging of the fetal and stillborn central nervous system. 2003

Paul D Griffiths, and Dick Variend, and Margaret Evans, and Angharad Jones, and Iain D Wilkinson, and Martyn N J Paley, and Elspeth Whitby
Section of Academic Radiology, University of Sheffield, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, UK.

OBJECTIVE Changes in the public perception of postmortem procedures in the United Kingdom have led to reduced numbers of autopsies being performed in the fetus and neonate. When autopsy is performed in this group, the brain is now usually studied without being formalin-fixed, which limits the available information. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of postmortem MR imaging of the fetal brain and spine when compared with the reference standard, autopsy. METHODS We obtained high-spatial-resolution T2-weighted images (in-plane resolution approximately 0.4 mm) of the brain and spine in 40 fetuses and stillborn neonates (14-42 weeks gestational age) who were referred for autopsy. The MR findings were compared with those of autopsy, the reference standard, which had been performed independently. RESULTS In eight cases, the autopsy did not provide structural information of the brain or spine, because assessment of the unfixed tissue was impossible. There was agreement between MR and autopsy findings in 31 (97%) of 32 cases in which comparison could be made. Eleven cases showed normal brain, and 20 cases showed a wide range of developmental and acquired abnormalities. The sensitivity of MR was 100%, specificity 92%, positive predictive value 95%, and negative predictive value 100%. CONCLUSIONS MR imaging has a useful role in providing structural information of the central nervous system in fetuses and stillborn neonates.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007231 Infant, Newborn An infant during the first 28 days after birth. Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D008279 Magnetic Resonance Imaging Non-invasive method of demonstrating internal anatomy based on the principle that atomic nuclei in a strong magnetic field absorb pulses of radiofrequency energy and emit them as radiowaves which can be reconstructed into computerized images. The concept includes proton spin tomographic techniques. Chemical Shift Imaging,MR Tomography,MRI Scans,MRI, Functional,Magnetic Resonance Image,Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Functional,Magnetization Transfer Contrast Imaging,NMR Imaging,NMR Tomography,Tomography, NMR,Tomography, Proton Spin,fMRI,Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging,Imaging, Chemical Shift,Proton Spin Tomography,Spin Echo Imaging,Steady-State Free Precession MRI,Tomography, MR,Zeugmatography,Chemical Shift Imagings,Echo Imaging, Spin,Echo Imagings, Spin,Functional MRI,Functional MRIs,Image, Magnetic Resonance,Imaging, Magnetic Resonance,Imaging, NMR,Imaging, Spin Echo,Imagings, Chemical Shift,Imagings, Spin Echo,MRI Scan,MRIs, Functional,Magnetic Resonance Images,Resonance Image, Magnetic,Scan, MRI,Scans, MRI,Shift Imaging, Chemical,Shift Imagings, Chemical,Spin Echo Imagings,Steady State Free Precession MRI
D008297 Male Males
D009421 Nervous System Malformations Structural abnormalities of the central or peripheral nervous system resulting primarily from defects of embryogenesis. Nervous System Abnormalities,Abnormalities, Congenital, Nervous System,Abnormalities, Nervous System,Anomalies, Nervous System,Congenital Abnormalities, Nervous System,Congenital Anomalies, Nervous System,Congenital Malformations, Nervous System,Cranioschisis,Malformations, Nervous System, Congenital,Nervous System Anomalies,Nervous System Congenital Abnormalities,Nervous System Congenital Malformations,Nervous System Malformations, Congenital,Abnormality, Nervous System,Anomaly, Nervous System,Cranioschises,Malformation, Nervous System,Malformations, Nervous System,Nervous System Abnormality,Nervous System Anomaly,Nervous System Malformation
D011247 Pregnancy The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH. Gestation,Pregnancies
D001921 Brain The part of CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM that is contained within the skull (CRANIUM). Arising from the NEURAL TUBE, the embryonic brain is comprised of three major parts including PROSENCEPHALON (the forebrain); MESENCEPHALON (the midbrain); and RHOMBENCEPHALON (the hindbrain). The developed brain consists of CEREBRUM; CEREBELLUM; and other structures in the BRAIN STEM. Encephalon
D002423 Cause of Death Factors which produce cessation of all vital bodily functions. They can be analyzed from an epidemiologic viewpoint. Causes of Death,Death Cause,Death Causes
D005260 Female Females
D005311 Fetal Hypoxia Deficient oxygenation of FETAL BLOOD. Anoxia, Fetal,Fetal Anoxia,Hypoxia, Fetal
D005313 Fetal Death Death of the developing young in utero. BIRTH of a dead FETUS is STILLBIRTH. Fetal Mummification,Fetal Demise,Death, Fetal,Deaths, Fetal,Demise, Fetal,Fetal Deaths,Mummification, Fetal

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