Fetal MRI of Urine and Meconium by Gestational Age for the Diagnosis of Genitourinary and Gastrointestinal Abnormalities

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Abstract
OBJECTIVE. The purpose of our study was to assess the appearance of the colon and genitourinary tract in fetuses with respect to gestational age with T1- and T2-weighted MRI acquisitions and their applications to abnormalities in these systems.MATERIALS AND METHODS. Retrospective review of the fetal MRI database was performed to select studies in which both T1- and T2-weighted acquisitions were obtained. The signal characteristics of fluid in the fetal colon and urine in the fetal bladder were evaluated, and gestational age and fetal MRI diagnosis were recorded. A Mantel-Haenszel chi-square analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship of gestational age to MRI signal intensity. In fetuses with suspected colonic and genitourinary abnormalities, an assessment was made about whether the T1-weighted findings added information to the T2-weighted findings.RESULTS. Eighty fetal MRI studies were reviewed. Forty-three studies showed normal findings, and 37 depicted genitourinary or gastrointestinal abnormal...