Aims and objectives
To present the practicalities and clinical findings of imaging the placenta in a High Field Open (HFO) Magnet 1T.
Introduction:The placenta is named after the Greek wordplakuos,
meaning "flat cake" and is responsible for the nutritive,
respiratory and excretory functions of the fetus.
It only receives attention when an abnormality is detected in the regular fetal sonographic scan.
During the course of the pregnancy both the placenta appearance and its location change; thus imaging evaluation of the location with MRI is ideally delayed and performed...
Methods and materials
A total of 26 placental MRIs (including a twin pregnancy with kissing placentae) were performed in a HFO MRI at 1.0Tesla static magnetic field.
Indications included sonographic findings of placenta previa (22/26),
history of a previous pregnancy with placenta accreta (1/26),
placental mapping in triplets (1/26) and uterine hemorrhage (2/26).
Median gestational age was 29+5 weeks (range 14w+2to 36w+6).
Twenty women had a history of previous caesarean section.
Standard MRI protocol included Single Shot SPAIR sequences,
Single Shot T2W and T1W IR,
all in coronal...
Results
All scans were completed but a claustrophobic patient had to proceed twice.
Abnormal placenta was revealed in 21 cases (4/21 acreta,
11/21 increta,
6/21 percreta).
In one case,
the presence of fibromas complicated sonographic appearances and was clarified by MRI.
There was surgical confirmation of MRI findings in 10/21 cases; in 5 cases that MRI had suggested wall and bladder penetration,
surgical findings did not concur.
In 2 cases,
MRI findings suggested subtle uterine rupture,
which was confirmed intraoperatively.
Conclusion
Placental MRI is technically feasible in a High Field Open Magnet 1T.
In complex cases,
it has appeared valuable in surgical planning and safe maternal and fetal management.
Personal information
Panagiotis Tagalakis
Senior CT-MRI radiographer
Mitera Hospital-Department of Radiology
6 Erythrou Stavrou Street,
GR 151 23 Marousi,
Athens
Phone: +306972910533
E-mail:
[email protected]
Dr Christina Malamateniou
Research Lead at Associate Professor level
Department of family care and mental health
University of Greenwich
SE92UG
Lindob
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