Value of prenatal magnetic resonance imaging in the prediction of postnatal outcome in fetuses with diaphragmatic hernia.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the potential value of antenatally determined total fetal lung volume (TFLV) by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the prediction of the postnatal survival in congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH).

METHODS: We examined fetuses with isolated CDH, in which MRI was used at 22-38 weeks of gestation to measure TFLV and assess intrathoracic herniation of abdominal viscera, that were liveborn after 30 weeks of gestation and had postnatal follow-up until death or discharge from hospital. Regression analysis was used to investigate the effect on survival of gestational age at diagnosis, observed to expected (o/e) TFLV, intrathoracic herniation of the liver, side of CDH, gestational age at MRI, institution, year and gestational age at delivery. In 76 fetuses measurements of o/e TFLV and the lung area to head circumference ratio (LHR) were performed within 2 weeks of each other; in these cases o/e TFLV and o/e LHR were compared for their prediction of postnatal survival.

RESULTS: In the 148 cases that fulfilled the entry criteria, multiple regression analysis demonstrated that significant predictors of survival were the presence or absence of intrathoracic herniation of the liver and o/e TFLV. The area under the receiver-operating characteristics curves for prediction of postnatal survival from o/e TFLV was 0.786 (standard error, 0.059; P < 0.001) and that from o/e LHR was 0.743 (standard error, 0.069; P = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: In the assessment of fetuses with CDH, MRI-based o/e TFLV is useful in the prediction of postnatal survival.