[MRI diagnosis and analysis of 104 cases of fetal ventriculomegaly by ultrasonography].

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the diagnostic value of MRI in the cases suspected of ventriculomegaly by prenatal ultrasonography.

METHODS

104 patients of suspected fetal ventriculomegaly (VM) diagnosed by ultrasonography were included from the Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University from March 2006 to October 2007. All cases were divided into 4 groups based on the standard of Gaglioti: 10 - 12 mm (66 cases), 13 - 15 mm (22 cases), 16 - 20 mm (14 cases), and 21 - 25 mm (2 cases); they included 75 cases of single intracerebroventricular expansion and 29 cases of double intracerebroventricular expansion. All of them were subjected to MRI scan within 48 h of ultrasonographic examination to determine the prenatal diagnosis by MRI pregnancy outcomes.

RESULTS

Among the 26 072 cases who received prenatal ultrasonography, 104 cases (0.39%) were VM. (1) MRI detected 3 cases (5%) in 10 - 12 mm group: one case of cerebellar hypoplasia, vascular malformation, chest and abdominal anomalies each; 5 cases (23%) in 13 - 15 mm group: one case of agenesis of corpus callosum (ACC), cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral hemorrhage with cerebral meningocele, cerebral meningocele, intracranial mass meningocele each; 6 cases(43%)in 16 - 20 mm group: 4 cases of ACC, one case of intraventricular hemorrhage and ACC combined with ventricular hemorrhage each; 2 cases in 21 - 25 mm group: one case of ACC and intraventricular hemorrhage each. (2) MRI detected 4 cases (5%) among 75 unilateral VM cases and 12 cases (41%) among 29 bilateral VM cases. The differences were significant (P < 0.01). MRI diagnosis rate was 15.38% (16 cases). Follow-up of the outcomes of the pregnancy showed induction of labor in 15 cases (14%) all of which were the same as MRI results on autopsy, full-term delivery of 88 cases, of which all the neonates were healthy.

CONCLUSIONS

When the expansion width is above 16 mm or bilateral VM is suspected by ultrasonography, we suggest MRI examination to determine fetal central nervous system disease.