Fetal MRI Technical TIPS

-->

 Fetal MRI Technical TIPS

• Don't stop scanning if baby moves. Scan the next couple of slices,baby probably went back to the same position 
• Number of slices need to match the number of concatenations.  
• Because we want to scan one slice at a time. Give at least 3 seconds between each slice. 
• Do not go blow 250mm FOV-  Exam coverage should be restricted to no more than the boundaries of the uterus. 
• Fast temporal resolution to account for fetal movement
• Place both body matrix coils side by side
• The mother fasts 4 hrs before the MRI to reduce bowel peristalsis and prevent postprandial fetal motion artifacts. 
• Before MRI, routine sonographic screening is performed to document fetal position. 
• Thin-section images are ideal for high spatial resolution, but at the expense of longer scan times and reduced SNR. Increasing the matrix and repetition time will improve SNR, but will also increase the scan time.
• Three-dimensional SSFP is applied to depict fluid-sensitive material and structures, including amniotic fluid, placenta, cord, brain, ventricles, spinal canal, airway, lungs, pleural space, heart, aorta, kidneys, ureters and bladder. When using this sequence, the relative T2/T1 hyperintensity provides high tissue contrast between the viscera, placenta and amniotic fluid. Three-dimensional SSFP is also useful for depiction of the bowel, liver, spleen, the spine and extremities

Chart showing the clinical indications for fetal MRI in 640 cases/source: sciencedirect.com

Fetal MRI anatomy