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High resolution MR imaging of the fetal heart with cardiac triggering: a feasibility study in the sheep fetus

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to perform fetal cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with triggering of the fetal heart beat in utero in a sheep model. All experimental protocols were reviewed and the usage of ewes and fetuses was approved by the local animal protection authorities. Images of the hearts of six pregnant ewes were obtained by using a 1.5-T MR system (Philips Medical Systems, Best, Netherlands). The fetuses were chronically instrumented with a carotid catheter to measure the fetal heart frequency for the cardiac triggering. Pulse wave triggered, breath-hold cine-MRI with steady-state free precession (SSFP) was achieved in short axis, two-, four- and three-chamber views. The left ventricular volume and thus the function were measured from the short axis. The fetal heart frequencies ranged between 130 and 160 bpm. The mitral, tricuspid, aortic, and pulmonary valves could be clearly observed. The foramen ovale could be visualized. Myocardial contraction was shown in cine sequences. The average blood volume at the end systole was 3.4 ± 0.2 ml (± SD). The average volume at end diastole was 5.2 ± 0.2 ml; thus the stroke volumes of the left ventricle in the systole were between 1.7 and 1.9 ml with ejection fractions of 38.6% and 39%,   respectively. The pulse wave triggered cardiac MRI of the fetal heart allowed evaluation of anatomical structures and functional information. This feasibility study demonstrates the applicability of MRI for future evaluation of fetuses with complex congenital heart defects, once a noninvasive method has been developed to perform fetal cardiac triggering.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Hamburg–Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany

    Jin Yamamura, Michael Frisch, Gerhard Adam & Ulrike Wedegärtner

  2. Philips Medical Systems, Hamburg, Germany

    Bernhard Schnackenburg & Hendrik Kooijmann

  3. Department of Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine, University Hospital Hamburg–Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany

    Kurt Hecher

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  1. Jin Yamamura
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  2. Bernhard Schnackenburg
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  3. Hendrik Kooijmann
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  4. Michael Frisch
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  5. Kurt Hecher
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  6. Gerhard Adam
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  7. Ulrike Wedegärtner
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Correspondence to Jin Yamamura.

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Yamamura, J., Schnackenburg, B., Kooijmann, H. et al. High resolution MR imaging of the fetal heart with cardiac triggering: a feasibility study in the sheep fetus. Eur Radiol 19, 2383–2390 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-009-1420-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-009-1420-8

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