Abstract
Postmortem fetal MR imaging is regarded as a valuable adjunct or alternative method to autopsy. The latter is frequently denied by the parents of the deceased. In addition, autopsy may be impaired by tissue autolysis. High quality anatomical information and a permanent record of the information may be obtained from postmortem MRI. Most experience exists with postmortem MRI of the brain. An examiner with experience and knowledge of both fetal development and common artefacts from postmortem MR images is essential to ensure the accurate interpretation of the information obtained.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Adamsbaum C, Gelot A, Andre C, Baron JM (2001) Atlas d’IRM du cerveau foetal. Masson, Paris
Aghayev E, Thali MJ et al (2007) Post-mortem tissue sampling using computed tomography guidance. Forensic Sci Int 166(2–3):199–203
Alderliesten ME, Peringa J et al (2003) Perinatal mortality: clinical value of postmortem magnetic resonance imaging compared with autopsy in routine obstetric practice. BJOG 110(4):378–382
Bar W, Kratzer A et al (1988) Postmortem stability of DNA. Forensic Sci Int 39(1):59–70
Bendersky M, Musolino PL et al (2006) Normal anatomy of the developing fetal brain. Ex vivo anatomical-magnetic resonance imaging correlation. J Neurol Sci 250(1–2):20–26
Bisset R (1998) Magnetic resonance imaging may be alternative to necropsy. BMJ 317(7170):1450
Bisset RA, Thomas NB et al (2002) Postmortem examinations using magnetic resonance imaging: four year review of a working service. BMJ 324(7351):1423–1424
Breeze AC, Cross JJ et al (2006) Use of a confidence scale in reporting postmortem fetal magnetic resonance imaging. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 28(7):918–924
Breeze AC, Gallagher FA et al (2008a) Postmortem fetal organ volumetry using magnetic resonance imaging and comparison to organ weights at conventional autopsy. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 31(2):187–193
Breeze AC, Jessop FA et al (2008b) Feasibility of percutaneous organ biopsy as part of a minimally invasive perinatal autopsy. Virchows Arch 452(2):201–207
Brookes JS, Hall-Craggs MA (1997) Postmortem perinatal examination: the role of magnetic resonance imaging. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 9(3):145–147
Burton JL (2001) Getting consent for necropsies. Perhaps we should seek consent to show necropsies to students. BMJ 323(7326):1426
Burton JL, Underwood J (2007) Clinical, educational, and epidemiological value of autopsy. Lancet 369(9571):1471–1480
Burton JL, Underwood JC (2003) Necropsy practice after the “organ retention scandal”: requests, performance, and tissue retention. J Clin Pathol 56(7):537–541
Cartlidge PH, Dawson AT et al (1995) Value and quality of perinatal and infant postmortem examinations: cohort analysis of 400 consecutive deaths. BMJ 310(6973):155–158
CEMACH (2008). CEMACH perinatal mortality 2006: England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Chi JG, Dooling EC et al (1977) Gyral development of the human brain. Ann Neurol 1(1):86–93
Cohen MC, Paley MN et al (2008) Less invasive autopsy: benefits and limitations of the use of magnetic resonance imaging in the perinatal postmortem. Pediatr Dev Pathol 11(1):1–9
D’Arceuil H, de Crespigny A (2007) The effects of brain tissue decomposition on diffusion tensor imaging and tractography. Neuroimage 36(1):64–68
Dean A, Whitby EH (2007) Contribution of antenatal magnetic resonance imaging to diagnostic neuropathology. Curr Diagn Pathol 13(3):171–179
Evans C, Marton T, et al. (2008). Cranial vault defects: the description of 3 cases that illustrate a spectrum of anomalies. Pediatr Dev Pathol 1
Fogliarini C, Chaumoitre K et al (2005a) Assessment of cortical maturation with prenatal MRI. Part I: Normal cortical maturation. Eur Radiol 15(8):1671–1685
Fogliarini C, Chaumoitre K et al (2005b) Assessment of cortical maturation with prenatal MRI: part II: abnormalities of cortical maturation. Eur Radiol 15(9):1781–1789
Garel C (2004) MRI of the fetal Brain. Springer, Berlin
Garel C, Chantrel E et al (2001) Fetal cerebral cortex: normal gestational landmarks identified using prenatal MR imaging. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 22(1):184–189
Garel C, Chantrel E et al (2003) Fetal MRI: normal gestational landmarks for cerebral biometry, gyration and myelination. Childs Nerv Syst 19(7–8):422–425
Girard N, Confort-Gouny S et al (2007) MR imaging of brain maturation. J Neuroradiol 34(5):290–310
Grabherr S, Djonov V et al (2006) Postmortem angiography after vascular perfusion with diesel oil and a lipophilic contrast agent. AJR Am J Roentgenol 187(5):W515–W523
Grabherr S, Djonov V et al (2007) Postmortem angiography: review of former and current methods. AJR Am J Roentgenol 188(3):832–838
Grabherr S, Gygax E et al (2008) Two-step postmortem angiography with a modified heart-lung machine: preliminary results. AJR Am J Roentgenol 190(2):345–351
Grandjean H, Larroque D et al (1999) The performance of routine ultrasonographic screening of pregnancies in the Eurofetus Study. Am J Obstet Gynecol 181(2):446–454
Griffiths PD, Variend D et al (2003) Postmortem MR imaging of the fetal and stillborn central nervous system. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 24(1):22–27
Hagmann CF, Robertson NJ, et al. (2006). Postmortem MRI as an adjunct to perinatal autopsy for renal tract abnormalities. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal
Hagmann CF, Robertson NJ et al (2007) Postmortem magnetic resonance imaging as an adjunct to perinatal autopsy for renal-tract abnormalities. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 92(3):F215–F218
Huisman TA, Wisser J et al (2002) MR autopsy in fetuses. Fetal Diagn Ther 17(1):58–64
Jackowski C, Thali M et al (2006) Postmortem imaging of blood and its characteristics using MSCT and MRI. Int J Legal Med 120(4):233–240
Kostovic I, Judas M (2007) Transient patterns of cortical lamination during prenatal life: do they have implications for treatment? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 31(8):1157–1168
Kostovic I, Judas M et al (2002) Laminar organization of the human fetal cerebrum revealed by histochemical markers and magnetic resonance imaging. Cereb Cortex 12(5):536–544
Levine D, Barnes PD (1999) Cortical maturation in normal and abnormal fetuses as assessed with prenatal MR imaging. Radiology 210(3):751–758
Levy AD, Abbott RM et al (2006) Virtual autopsy: preliminary experience in high-velocity gunshot wound victims. Radiology 240(2):522–528
Maroun LL, Graem N (2005) Autopsy standards of body parameters and fresh organ weights in nonmacerated and macerated human fetuses. Pediatr Dev Pathol 8(2):204–217
McArdle CB, Richardson CJ et al (1987) Developmental features of the neonatal brain: MR imaging. Part I. Gray-white matter differentiation and myelination. Radiology 162(1 Pt 1):223–229
Nicholl RM, Balasubramaniam VP et al (2007) Postmortem brain MRI with selective tissue biopsy as an adjunct to autopsy following neonatal encephalopathy. Eur J Paediatr Neurol 11(3):167–174
Pathologists, Joint Working Party Royal College Obstetricians and Gynaecologist and Royal College of Pathologists. (1988). Report of fetal and Perinatal pathology. London.
Picone O, Levaillant JM et al (2008) Correlation between referral ultrasound with suspected foetal anomalies and autopsy examination in two prenatal diagnosis centres. Impact of the routine use of 3D/4D scan. Prenat Diagn 28(3):191–196
Prayer D, Kasprian G et al (2006) MRI of normal fetal brain development. Eur J Radiol 57(2):199–216
Rados M, Judas M et al (2006) In vitro MRI of brain development. Eur J Radiol 57(2):187–198
Roberts IS, Benbow EW et al (2003) Accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging in determining cause of sudden death in adults: comparison with conventional autopsy. Histopathology 42(5):424–430
Roberts ISD, Benbow EW (2007). The non-invasive or minimally invasive autopsy. Recent Advances in Histopathology 22. The Royal Society of Medicine Press, London.
Roberts MD, Lange RC et al (1995) Fetal anatomy with magnetic resonance imaging. Magn Reson Imaging 13(4):645–649
Ros PR, Li KC et al (1990) Preautopsy magnetic resonance imaging: initial experience. Magn Reson Imaging 8(3):303–308
Sankar VH, Phadke SR (2006) Clinical utility of fetal autopsy and comparison with prenatal ultrasound findings. J Perinatol 26(4):224–229
Snowdon C, Elbourne DR et al (2004) Perinatal pathology in the context of a clinical trial: attitudes of neonatologists and pathologists. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 89(3):F204–F207
Thali MJ, Yen K et al (2003) Virtopsy, a new imaging horizon in forensic pathology: virtual autopsy by postmortem multislice computed tomography (MSCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)–a feasibility study. J Forensic Sci 48(2):386–403
Thayyil S (2008) Magnetic resonance imaging of the post-mortem fetus – technical factors.( personal communication)
Thayyil S, Cleary JO, Price AC, et al (2008). Whole-body post-mortem magnetic resonance imaging at 9.4T: a rapid and less invasive autopsy for small fetuses. ISMRM, Toronto Canada.
Thayyil S, Robertson NJ et al (2008b) Parental consent for research and sudden infant death. Lancet 372(9640):715
Thayyil S, Schievano S, et al. (2008) A semi-automated method for non-invasive internal organ weight estimation by post-mortem magnetic resonance imaging in fetuses, newborns and children. Eur J Radiol.
Vasudevan PC, Cohen MC et al (2006) The OEIS complex: two case reports that illustrate the spectrum of abnormalities and a review of the literature. Prenat Diagn 26(3):267–272
Vujanic GM, Cartlidge PH et al (1998) Improving the quality of perinatal and infant necropsy examinations: a follow up study. J Clin Pathol 51(11):850–853
Woodward PJ, Sohaey R et al (1997) Postmortem fetal MR imaging: comparison with findings at autopsy. AJR Am J Roentgenol 168(1):41–46
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Whitby, E., Paley, M., Cohen, M. (2010). Postmortem Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Fetus. In: Prayer, D. (eds) Fetal MRI. Medical Radiology(). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/174_2010_25
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/174_2010_25
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-73270-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-73271-6
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)