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MRI of the Placenta

  • Chapter
MRI of Fetal and Maternal Diseases in Pregnancy

Abstract

While ultrasound remains the primary imaging technique for placental evaluation, magnetic resonance imaging plays an adjunctive role in the setting of inconclusive sonographic findings. Accurate interpretation of placental MR imaging examinations requires knowledge of patient risk factors and sonographic findings in addition to familiarity with the expected normal and variant placental appearances at various stages of development. Multiplanar T2-weighted single-shot turbo/fast spin-echo sequences (e.g., rapid acquisition with relaxation enhancement [RARE] sequences such as half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo [HASTE]) excel at revealing the internal structure of the placenta and underlying myometrium in addition to demonstrating fetal anatomy. When augmented with additional T1-weighted, T2-weighted, and/or balanced steady state free precession sequences, MRI becomes a powerful tool for detecting and characterizing clinically significant variants, hematomas, invasion, and neoplasms of the placenta.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Radiology and Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA

    April A. Bailey MD & Diane M. Twickler MD, FACR

  2. Abdominal Imaging Division, Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA

    John R. Leyendecker MD

Authors
  1. April A. Bailey MD
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  2. Diane M. Twickler MD, FACR
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  3. John R. Leyendecker MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to John R. Leyendecker MD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Umberto I Hospital Sapienza University, Rome, Italy

    Gabriele Masselli

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Bailey, A.A., Twickler, D.M., Leyendecker, J.R. (2016). MRI of the Placenta. In: Masselli, G. (eds) MRI of Fetal and Maternal Diseases in Pregnancy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21428-3_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21428-3_13

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-21427-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-21428-3

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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