Utility of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Diagnosis of Prenatal Non-Visualization of the Fetal Gallbladder: A Case-Series Study

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the utility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of prenatal non-visualization of the fetal gallbladder (PNVGB). MATERIAL/METHODS: The clinical data of 32 pregnant women with PNVGB who underwent MRI examination during the second and third trimester of pregnancy were collected and their outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: MRI showed that 26 patients (81.3%) had isolated PNVGB and 6 (18.8%) had additional malformations. In 26 patients with isolated PNVGB, 7 were found in the gallbladder on MRI and 4 were found on subsequent ultrasonography. One patient had termination of pregnancy (TOP) and 1 patient was lost to follow-up; the remaining 24 patients were known to deliver a healthy child. Among the 6 patients with additional malformations, 3 terminated their pregnancies due to combined severe abnormalities: 1 patient with horseshoe kidney and 1 with fetal echogenic bowel both had a healthy child, while 1 with fetal growth restriction (FGR) delivered a child who walked on tiptoe. CONCLUSIONS: MRI contributes to identifying PNVGB detected or suspected by ultrasonography.