Magnetic resonance imaging of the internal structure of the mouse fetus

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has potential as an imaging technique in fetal anatomy. In this article are presented images obtained from mouse fetuses at 16 days of pregnancy by means of the ultraconductive MRI system (JEOL AIM270). When fetuses removed from the uterus were fixed with 10% neutral formalin, various organs including heart, liver, lungs and bones were clearly seen, and a clear outline was obtained of the fetal skin and subcutaneous tissue by varying the setting. The same specimens were able to be used for histological evaluation. This MRI system will allow wider application in fetal anatomy and provide additional information about the developing mouse fetus.