Obstetrical magnetic resonance imaging: fetal anatomy.

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Abstract
Nine patients, 34-36 wk pregnant, underwent magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Sagittal images using spin echo technique (TR [repetition time] 2.0 s, TE [echo time] 28 ms) were optimal for delineating fetal anatomy. The fetal cardiovascular, pulmonary and CNS were depicted in all cases. The heart and major vessels were readily seen, due to the natural contrast of flowing blood. The intensity of the fluid-filled lungs greatly increased with a longer TR or TE, delimiting thorax from liver. The brain was relatively featureless, due to the lack of gray-white matter differentiation. The umbilical cord within the amniotic fluid, and its insertion into the placenta and fetus, was identified in all cases. MR is a new modality for fetal imaging that offers tissue-characterization information that complements the superior anatomic detail of ultrasound scanning.