What you see is not always what you get-MRI-based ganglionic eminence volumetry challenges subjective assessment in CNS anomalies.
Expert visual assessment of fetal ganglionic eminence size confirmed enlargement in only 25% of cases
What you see is not always what you get-MRI-based ganglionic eminence volumetry challenges subjective assessment in CNS anomalies.
To compare prenatal imaging-based subjective assessment of the ganglionic eminence (ganglionic eminence) on fetal MRI with three-dimensional volumetric analysis in patients with structural central nervous system anomalies.
This retrospective study investigated 17 fetuses (undergoing 20 fetal MRIs, mean gestational age 26.3 weeks, SD 3.3, range 21.7-33.4 weeks) with enlarged ganglionic eminence based on subjective assessment of fetal neuroimaging experts and concurrent structural brain anomalies.
visual exam overestimated enlargement in most cases, confirmed in only a quarter
In 3 (15%), ganglionic eminence volumes were smaller compared to controls.
Most patients (80%) were found to have increased total brain volume, while only 30% had an increased intracranial volume-ventriculomegaly (75%) seemingly being the most common underlying cause.
Brain parenchyma volume was enlarged in only 20%.
No correlation was found between ganglionic eminence volumes and volumes of 10 other substructures of the fetal head in pathological cases.
The study suggests the unreliability of expert visual assessment of ganglionic eminence size, despite excellent examination conditions, emphasizing the need for three-dimensional volumetric ganglionic eminence measurements.
Specifically in patients with structural brain anomalies, quantitative fetal neuroimaging serves as an emerging tool to identify abnormalities in ganglionic eminence size and complement current diagnostic techniques by objectifying subjective impressions.