Comparison of prenatal ultrasonography and fetal MRI in diagnosing
neural tube defects: A prospective observational study
Abstract
Objective: To compare the diagnostic accordance rate between prenatal
ultrasonography and fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for varied
neural tube defects (NTDs), and introduce detailed prenatal imaging
characteristics of multiple NTDs. Design: A prospective observational
study Setting: Chinese PLA General Hospital Population: The fetuses
developing possible NTDs. Method: We prospectively followed up the
fetuses and collected their data of prenatal ultrasonography, fetal MRI,
and postnatal MRI examinations. Fisher’s exact test was used to perform
the statistical analysis. A P value of < 0.05 was considered
statistically significant. Main Outcome Measures: The diagnostic
accordance rate of prenatal ultrasonography and fetal MRI for each
involved NTD, prenatal imaging characteristics of each involved NTD.
Results: We included 119 fetuses with 11 NTDs. Ultrasonography revealed
a significant advantage in diagnosing spina bifida (P < 0.05)
and a relative advantage in diagnosing intraspinal cyst, dermal sinus,
and skin mass. MRI demonstrated intraspinal lipoma better (P <
0.05), and was appropriate for identifying complex malformations. Both
could accurately diagnose tethered cord syndrome (without intraspinal
lesions), meningocele/myelomeningocele, and sacrococcygeal teratoma.
Conclusions: Prenatal ultrasonography and fetal MRI have different
advantages in diagnosing NTDs. To ensure a prompt and accurate
diagnosis, it is crucial for clinicians to raise awareness of the
prenatal imaging characteristics of various NTDs, which will lay a solid
foundation for better fetal prognosis. Funding: This study was supported
by the Capital’s Funds for Health Improvement and Research
(CFH2022-2-5022). Keywords: prenatal ultrasonography, fetal magnetic
resonance imaging, neural tube defects, pregnancy, diagnosis, fetus