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Published on: February 15, 2013

Fetal magnetic resonance imaging as a complement to fetal ultrasonography

Dorothy Bulas1

  • 1Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Radiology, Children's National Medical Center, George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC 20010, USA. dbulas@cnmc.org

Ultrasound Quarterly
|June 15, 2007
PubMed

Ultrasonography is the screening method of choice for the evaluation of the fetus. It is safe, inexpensive, and easily performed. However, it is operator dependent, and evaluation may be limited because of fetal position, maternal obesity, overlying bone, and/or oligohydramnios. Magnetic resonance imaging is an alternative modality that uses no ionizing radiation, has excellent tissue contrast and a large field of view, is not limited by obesity or overlying bone, and can image the fetus in multiple planes, no matter the fetal lie. Faster scanning techniques allow studies to be performed without sedation in the second and third trimester with minimal motion artifact.

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