Takeshi Maruo — Page 5

PubMedDate not supplied

Prenatal imaging of congenital cerebral primitive neuroectodermal tumor.

A case of fetal brain tumor, which appeared after 32 weeks' gestation, is presented. Prenatal ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a large heterogeneous mass in the right supratentorial region and left enlarged ventricle. A male fetus weighing 2,616 g was delivered at 34 weeks' gestation by cesarean section and died on the 37th day of life due to rapid growth of the tumor. Following autopsy, the pathohistological examination revealed primitive neuroectodermal tumor. Magnetic resonance imaging in the prenatal management of the congenital brain tumor is efficient in evaluating the expansion and margin of the tumor and intratumoral bleeding, which are not demonstrated by ultrasonography.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Comparison of magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasonography in the prenatal diagnosis of congenital thoracic abnormalities.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate prenatal MRI in the diagnosis of fetal thoracic abnormalities and to determine whether MRI provides useful information in addition to that of ultrasonography (US). METHODS: Ultrafast MR scanning was performed in 7 pregnant women in whom US was suspicious of fetal congenital anomalies of the thorax [3 cases of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), 3 cases of chylothorax and 1 case of congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (CCAM) type III]. The presence, position, size and characteristics of the congenital lesions were determined and compared with postnatal diagnoses. RESULTS: The MRI diagnoses were 3 cases of CDH, 2 of chylothorax and one each of esophageal atresia and CCAM type III. The results of MRI were in agreement with those of US in 6 cases and in disagreement in 1 case of esophageal atresia. Final diagnoses were confirmed at surgery or autopsy in all fetuses. Combined use of MR and US imaging enabled a correct diagnosis in 5 cases and led to an error in the diagnosis of 1 fetus with bronchial stenosis, which had been diagnosed as CCAM type III by US and MRI. MRI led to a correct diagnosis in 1 fetus with esophageal atresia, in whom US had been equivocal in the prenatal diagnosis. CONCLUSION: MRI helped further characterize the fetal thoracic lesions and confirmed or changed the prenatal diagnosis based on US. MRI seems to be powerful in the prenatal diagnosis of thoracic lesions that are atypical or complicated by multiple abnormalities.

Adult↗