Research: Brain cortical assessment by MRI in fetuses with left congenital diaphragmatic hernia Brain development in left congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Prenat Diagn

. 2023 May 9.

 doi: 10.1002/pd.6368. Online ahead of print. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37160691/

Brain cortical assessment by MRI in fetuses with left congenital diaphragmatic hernia Brain development in left congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Isabella Fabietti 1Giulia Grassini 1 2Sara Savelli 3Roberta Vicario 1Anita Romiti 1Milena Viggiano 1Chiara Vassallo 1Laura Valfrè 4Paola Giliberti 5Irma Capolupo 5Marco Bonito 6Pietro Bagolan 4 7Francesco Morini 8Leonardo Caforio 1

Affiliations expand

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate fetal brain development using MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) in CDH (congenital diaphragmatic hernia).

Methods: 52 isolated left CDH and 104 control fetuses were imaged using MRI. Brain morphometry (Biparietal diameter – BPD, brain fronto-occipital diameter – BFOD, third ventricle, posterior ventricles, transcerebellar diameter – TCD, anteroposterior and craniocaudal cerebellar vermis diameter – AP and CC) and cortical structures (bilateral cingulate fissure – CF, insular fissure – IF, insular depth – ID) were compared with controls using Mann-Whitney test .

Results: Median gestational age at MRI was comparable (p=0.95), as well as was the median biparietal diameter (p=0.737). Among morphometric parameters only the brain fronto-occipital diameter was significantly smaller in CDH (p= 0.001) and the third ventricle was significantly greater in CDH (<0.0001). Among cortical structures, the cingulate and insular fissure were significantly deeper in CDH fetuses (p<0.0001), as the insular depth ID was smaller in CDH (p< 0.03).

Conclusions: CDH fetuses have a smaller fronto-occipitaldiameter, reduced insular depth, and deeper cingulate and insular fissure, and greater third ventricle width as compared to controls. These findings suggest that left CDH may have an impact on fetal brain development with an overall reduction of brain volume. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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