Post-mortem MRI as an adjunct to fetal or neonatal autopsy

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Pathology
• Perinatal Medicine

Background:

• Autopsies are crucial for determining fetal and neonatal death causes, aiding parental grief and future pregnancy risk assessment.
• Declining parental consent for autopsies necessitates exploring alternative diagnostic methods.
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has been identified as a promising adjunct to autopsy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of post-mortem MRI as an adjunct to traditional autopsy for fetal and neonatal cases.
• To assess the diagnostic capabilities of MRI for various abnormalities in deceased fetuses and neonates.
• To inform future recommendations for the clinical implementation of post-mortem MRI services.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing standard MRI scanners to acquire high-quality anatomical information of fetal and neonatal brains and spines.
• Analyzing post-mortem MRI scans to identify developmental and acquired abnormalities.
• Investigating potential challenges in imaging non-central nervous system organs and complex heart malformations.

Main Results:

• Post-mortem MRI can provide high-quality anatomical detail, particularly for the brain and spine.
• Most developmental and acquired abnormalities are detectable via post-mortem MRI.
• Further research is required for non-central nervous system organs and specific cardiac malformations.

Conclusions:

• Post-mortem MRI is a valuable tool for investigating fetal and neonatal deaths, offering detailed anatomical insights.
• While effective for many conditions, challenges remain in imaging certain organs and complex heart defects.
• Future applications may involve whole-body MRI combined with image-guided biopsies as an adjunct to autopsy.