Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 3, 2026
Three-Dimensional Phase Resolved Functional Lung Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Published on: June 21, 2024
T2 quantifications of fetal lungs at MRI-normal ranges
M Cannie1, J Jani, F De Keyzer
1Department of Radiology, Division of Medical Imaging, University Hospitals Leuven, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. miekecannie@hotmail.com
Objective:
To prospectively determine the pattern of lung intensities and T2 values in fetuses with normally developing lungs as obtained with T2-weighted single-shot turbo spin echo magnetic resonance (TSE MR) imaging. This should serve as a reference to which images from fetuses with lung development disorders are compared.
Methods:
In 105 fetuses with normal lung development who were assessed at 19 to 40 weeks of gestation, MR delineation of left and right lung organs was performed on the T2-weighted images with TE of 31 ms and extrapolated to the images with echo time (TE) of 267 ms. T2 values were calculated based on the images with these two different TE. Linear regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between gestational age (GA) and T2. We compared T2 values in 11 left-sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) to the normative ranges using the Mann-Whitney U test.
Results:
In fetuses with normal lungs and in CDH, there was a positive correlation between GA and T2 values in both lungs. T2 values, corrected for gestation, were lower in CDH fetuses for ipsilateral lungs as compared to normal lungs. Contralateral lungs showed no difference.
Conclusions:
In normally developing lungs there is a significant relation between T2 values with gestation. Ipsilateral lungs in CDH have a significant difference in intensity.
