RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Determination in Normal Fetal Brain: A Prenatal MR Imaging Study
JF American Journal of Neuroradiology
JO Am. J. Neuroradiol.
FD American Society of Neuroradiology
SP 799
OP 804
VO 24
IS 5
A1 Righini, Andrea
A1 Bianchini, Elena
A1 Parazzini, Cecilia
A1 Gementi, Patrizia
A1 Ramenghi, Luca
A1 Baldoli, Cristina
A1 Nicolini, Umberto
A1 Mosca, Fabio
A1 Triulzi, Fabio
YR 2003
UL http://www.ajnr.org/content/24/5/799.abstract
AB BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Diffusion-weighted MR imaging studies of normal brain development have focused on premature babies who were free of focal lesions on conventional MR images. The condition of prematurity, however, is dissimilar to intrauterine life. We sought to establish normal values of fetal brain apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) to highlight its abnormal changes in pathologic conditions and to obtain information about normal brain development.METHODS: We measured the ADC, in utero, by using an echo-planar three-axes diffusion-sensitized sequence (b factor, 0 and 600 s/mm2), in frontal and occipital white matter and basal ganglia gray matter of 15 fetuses. Their gestational ages ranged from 22 to 35 weeks, and the postnatal MR images or sonograms revealed normal brain.RESULTS: Mean ADC value was 1.96 ± 0.1 μm2/ms (SD) in frontal white matter, 1.95 ± 0.1 μm2/ms in occipital white matter, and 1.56 ± 0.1 μm2/ms in basal ganglia. A significant negative correlation between ADC and gestational age was found for basal ganglia, whereas only a trend was present for frontal white matter.CONCLUSION: Although moderately higher, the ADC determinations we obtained are consistent with those reported in the literature in postnatal studies performed in premature babies.