Summary
- Fetal MRI can help physicians detect a condition in unborn babies termed Tracheo-Oesophageal Fistula/ Oesophageal Atresia (TOF/OA), which might assist in the early diagnosis and care.
- A study involving 51 pregnant women showed that fetal MRI identified the condition in 29 of 35 suspected women.
- TOF/OA was confirmed by the existence of MRI signs, including small or underfilled stomach or the absence of stomach bubble.
- The study showed that fetal MRI had a high accuracy rate in the detection of TOF/OA, with no false negative results, making the imaging method an invaluable tool for ruling out the condition.
- Doctors would be able to distinguish between normal and abnormal cases.
Did you know that with modern technology, doctors now can inspect the unborn to see if they have health problems before being born? A study carried out by a group of researchers found that fetal MRI was capable of diagnosing a condition known as Tracheo-Oesophageal Fistula/ Oesophageal Atresia (TOF/OA) in fetuses.
The study included a total of 51 pregnant women who were imaged using fetal MRI with TOF/OA suspicion based in previous ultrasound findings in 46 of them. Another five patients were referred for a fetal MRI with another indication, but TOF/OA possibility was raised after the MRI. Thus, this study concluded that fetal MRI was an invaluable tool in providing information for confirmation of TOF/OA diagnosis on pre-natal evaluations.
Results of the study showed that TOF/OA was positive in 29/35 cases where it was initially suspected. The MRI of body regions depicted abnormalities consistent with TOF/OA: a minutely or poorly filled stomach, missing gastric bubble and sliver of fluid in the stomach. These results proved invaluable when it came to uncovering the TOF/OA in their unborn children.
Moreover, this study found the sensitivity in detecting TOF/OA to be high using fetal MRI (positive predictive value 51.7%). Therefore, this gives a very high positive predictive value for TOF/OA when it was found on the fetal MRI. Furthermore, the study showed that fetal MRI did not produce any false negative results for TOF/OA excluding this anomaly with reliability.
A key result from the study was conducting MRI measurements of stomach volumes in the fetuses. Results showed that stomachs sizes and gestational ages had a positive correlation in healthy babies. If TOF/OA was diagnosed, however, stomach volumes were consistently lower than in the control group. This difference in stomach volumes provided a way to identify the fetuses with TOF/OA.
In conclusion, fetal MRI appears to contribute in diagnosing TOF/OA fetuses. The technology was able to detect the presence of TOF/OA with same efficacy as well its absence which helped eliminated cases where it were not detected. Similarly, MRI-based gastric volume readings have also contributed to the understanding of these specifics in normal cases and children with TOF/OA. Fetal MRI can be a useful method of early detection and management for some health issues found in unborn babies, to be considered in prenatal care.
Ob/Gyn & Women’s Health, Radiology