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Fetal magnetic resonance imaging: supratentorial brain malformations

  • Fetal imaging
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Abstract

Fetal MRI is the modality of choice to study supratentorial brain malformations. To accurately interpret the MRI, the radiologist needs to understand the normal sequence of events that occurs during prenatal brain development; this includes familiarity with the processes of hemispheric cleavage, formation of interhemispheric commissures, neuro-glial proliferation and migration, and cortical folding. Disruption of these processes results in malformations observed on fetal MRI including holoprosencephaly, callosal agenesis, heterotopic gray matter, lissencephaly and other malformations of cortical development (focal cortical dysplasia, polymicrogyria). The radiologist should also be familiar with findings that have high association with specific conditions affecting the central nervous system or other organ systems. This review summarizes and illustrates common patterns of supratentorial brain malformations and emphasizes aspects that are important to patient care.

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Acknowledgments

Author Camilo Jaimes was partially supported by a Young Investigator Award from the Society for Pediatric Radiology and by the Schlaeger Fellowship for Neuroscience Research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Boston Children’s Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Jungwhan John Choi, Edward Yang & Camilo Jaimes

  2. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Jungwhan John Choi, Edward Yang, Janet S. Soul & Camilo Jaimes

  3. Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Janet S. Soul

  4. Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging and Developmental Science Center, Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Camilo Jaimes

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  1. Jungwhan John Choi
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Correspondence to Camilo Jaimes.

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Choi, J.J., Yang, E., Soul, J.S. et al. Fetal magnetic resonance imaging: supratentorial brain malformations. Pediatr Radiol 50, 1934–1947 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-020-04696-z

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