Prenatal MR Imaging of Brain Malformations

While ultrasound remains the cornerstone of prenatal imaging and can recognize and characterize the majority of congenital and acquired brain abnormalities, MR imaging has the potential of refining the diagnosis and can reveal additional findings in cases when ultrasound is unrevealing. MR imaging is typically feasible from 19 to 20 gestational weeks onward. This chapter focuses on the role of MR imaging in fetuses harboring brain malformations; the fundamental bases of prenatal MR imaging diagnoses in these conditions are discussed.