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Diffusion-weighted MR imaging of fetal lung maturation in sheep: effect of prenatal cortisone administration on ADC values

  • Magnetic Resonance
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Abstract

Objective

To assess changes in diffusion properties in the fetal lung after cortisone administration with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in fetal sheep.

Methods

DWI was performed on 11 pregnant sheep with singleton pregnancies on a 1.5-T MRI scanner. Four animals received cortisone injections before baseline imaging. Seven animals served as controls. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) was measured on DWI in the fetal lungs by two independent readers. The Pearson test was used to correlate ADC and gestational age. A t-test was performed to compare differences in ADC values at the baseline and follow-up images within and between groups. Inter-rater reliability was calculated.

Results

In the cortisone group, ADC values increased about 10 % between the baseline and follow-up images (P = 0.039). Comparing the cortisone and control groups, ADC values of the baseline images did not differ; whereas in the follow-up imaging, ADC values were significantly higher in the cortisone group (P = 0.024). Lung ADC values did not correlate with gestational age (P = 0.970). Inter-rater reliability was high (0.970, P = 0.000).

Conclusion

In this experimental model, MR-DWI can detect cortisone-induced changes in diffusion properties of the fetal lung.

Key Points

• Corticosteroids are frequently administered antenatally to prevent fetal lung immaturity at birth

• DWI can detect changes in the fetal lung after corticosteroid administration

• Changes can be detected as early as 5 days after treatment

• Fetal MRI may offer a non-invasive method of monitoring lung maturation

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Acknowledgments

The research project was financially supported by the German Research Foundation (WE 2826/1-3). Experiments were carried out with the technical support of Philips GmbH Healthcare, Germany.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging, Centre for Radiology and Endoscopy, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany

    Chressen Catharina Much, Björn Phillip Schoennagel, Jin Yamamura, Anne-Kathrin Schätzle, Gerhard Adam & Ulrike Wedegaertner

  2. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany

    Ralph Buchert

  3. Abteilung Clinical Application, Philips GmbH Healthcare, Luebeckertordamm 5, 20099, Hamburg, Germany

    Hendrik Kooijman

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  1. Chressen Catharina Much
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  2. Björn Phillip Schoennagel
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Correspondence to Chressen Catharina Much.

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Much, C.C., Schoennagel, B.P., Yamamura, J. et al. Diffusion-weighted MR imaging of fetal lung maturation in sheep: effect of prenatal cortisone administration on ADC values. Eur Radiol 23, 1766–1772 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-013-2780-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-013-2780-7

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