Placental evaluation with magnetic resonance

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Radiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Undiagnosed placental abnormalities are associated with significant maternal morbidity and mortality.
• Accurate antenatal diagnosis is essential for effective management and improved outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the utility of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the antenatal diagnosis of placental abnormalities.
• To describe key MR imaging features indicative of abnormal placentation.

Main Methods:

• Review of MR imaging features associated with placental abnormalities.
• Identification of specific imaging characteristics such as placental lobulation, myometrial invasion, and heterogeneity.

Main Results:

• MR imaging can detect variant placental location and morphology.
• Specific findings like uterine contour deformity, myometrial layer interruption, and intraplacental dark bands are indicative of abnormal placentation.
• Abnormal vascularity on MR imaging is also a key diagnostic feature.

Conclusions:

• Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is a valuable tool for the antenatal diagnosis of placental abnormalities.
• Recognizing specific MR imaging features can aid in identifying conditions like placenta accreta spectrum and other invasive placentation disorders.