In utero magnetic resonance imaging for brain and spinal abnormalities in fetuses

doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7516.562

BMJ 2005;331:562-565 (10 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7516.562

Clinical review

Science, medicine, and the future

In utero magnetic resonance imaging for brain and spinal abnormalities in fetuses

Paul D Griffiths, professor¹, Martyn N J Paley, professor of magnetic resonance physics¹, Elysa Widjaja, lecturer in neuroradiology¹, Chris Taylor, professor of paediatrics¹, Elspeth H Whitby, senior lecturer in fetal and neonatal radiology¹

¹ Academic Unit of Radiology, University of Sheffield, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield S10 2JF

Correspondence to: P D Griffiths p.griffiths@sheffield.ac.uk

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Introduction

In the past eight years magnetic resonance imaging has beenused to detect fetal abnormalities in utero at many centresaround the world. An increasing number of published papers haveshown improved diagnostic accuracy with in utero magnetic resonanceimaging compared with obstetric ultrasonography, the currentreference standard. This is particularly so in cases of brainand spine abnormalities in the fetus, and much of the publishedwork has concentrated on those anatomical regions. When a newapplication for an existing technology is discovered, thereis a delicate balance between assessing the method adequatelyin a research environment and the desire to introduce it intothe clinical arena as soon as possible. Here we describe thecurrent status of in utero magnetic resonance imaging and outlinesome of the ethical issues raised by working with a new applicationin this complicated clinical environment.