Normative volume measurements of the fetal intra-cranial compartments using 3D volume in utero MR imaging

PURPOSE: To describe the normal linear measurements of the skull (bi-parietal diameter and occipito-frontal diameter) and intracranial volumes (ventricular volume, brain parenchymal volume, extra-axial volume and total intra-cranial volume) in normal fetuses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We recruited pregnant women from low-risk pregnancies whose fetuses had normal ultrasound and in utero MR studies. All volunteers had in utero MR imaging on the same 1.5T MR scanner with a protocol consisting of routine and 3D steady-state volume imaging of the fetal brain. Linear measurements of the skull were made using the volume imaging. The 3D volume imaging also was manually segmented to delineate the intracranial compartments described above to determine quantitative values for each. RESULTS: Two hundred normal fetuses were studied with gestational ages between 18 and 37 weeks. The linear skull measurements made on in utero MR imaging closely correlate with published data from ultrasonography. The intracranial volume data is presented as graphs and as tabular summaries of 3rd, 10th, 50th, 90th and 97th centiles. CONCLUSION: It is now possible to measure the volumes of the intracranial compartments in individual fetuses using ultrafast in utero MR techniques. KEY POINTS: • There are limitations in using the skull size of the fetus to comment on the state of the fetal brain. • Volumes for the intracranial compartments are presented, based on in utero MR imaging of the fetal brain between 18 and 37 weeks gestational age. • Those normative values can be used to assess fetuses with known or suspected structural brain abnormalities and may assist the differential diagnosis provided by visual assessment of routine iuMR studies. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s00330-018-5938-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.