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Ren JY, Zhu M, Dong SZ. Sex differences in normal fetal regional brain apparent diffusion coefficient changes assessed by in utero DWI. Front Pediatr 2024; 12:1354475. [PMID: 38567183 PMCID: PMC10985338 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2024.1354475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective There are differences in the vulnerability of male and female fetal brains to adverse intrauterine exposure, preterm birth, and associated perinatal brain injury. The main objective of this study was to identify any statistically significant difference in the change of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in the intracranial regions of male and female fetuses in the second and third trimesters. Methods Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) was performed in 200 fetuses between 20 and 37 gestational ages (GA) with normal results or suspicious results on sonography followed by structural MRI. Pairwise ADC values of the regions of interest (ROIs) were manually delineated on either side of the cerebral white matter: frontal white matter (FWM), parietal white matter (PWM), occipital white matter (OWM), temporal white matter (TWM), basal ganglia (BG), thalamus (THA), cerebellar hemisphere (CBM), and a single measurement in the pons. The changes in these values were studied over the gestational range, along with potential sex differences and asymmetries of the cerebral hemispheres. Results During the third trimester, ADC values in OWM, TWM, and CBM were significantly higher in male fetuses than those in female fetuses (p < 0.05). After the correction of false-discovery rates (FDR), the difference in CBM was the only statistically significant (p = 0.0032). However, the decreased rate of ADC values in male fetuses in CWM (except for FWM), BG, THA, CBM, and pons was higher than that in female fetuses during the second and third trimesters. Conclusions We have shown some differences in the intracranial regional ADC changes between male and female fetuses using in utero DWI during the second and third trimesters.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Su-Zhen Dong
- Department of Radiology, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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Moeremans M, Avni FE, d'Haene N, Lam NM, Metens T, D'Hondt A. Combined prenatal US and post-mortem fetal MRI: can they replace conventional autopsy for fetal body abnormalities? Eur Radiol 2024; 34:632-642. [PMID: 37526669 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-023-09847-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The acceptance of conventional autopsy (CA), the gold standard method for investigating fetal death, often remains problematic. Post-mortem magnetic resonance imaging (PMMRI) is increasingly advocated, particularly for neurologic malformations. However, PMMRI performances to diagnose non-neurologic malformations remain unclear. We aim to clarify whether a full body CA remains needed after prenatal ultrasound (US) and PMMRI in assessing non-neurologic fetal malformations. METHODS In this retrospective IRB-approved study, during a 6-year period, all fetuses who underwent PMMRI, prenatal US, and full body CA were included. Body abnormalities were identified in US, PMMRI, and CA reports. US and PMMRI images were all reviewed. All abnormalities were graded as major (2 points) or minor (1 point). Each technique (US, PMMRI, CA) was given a score by adding all grading points. In each fetus, results were compared for both separate and combined US and PMMRI to CA. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated for detecting major abnormalities. RESULTS Fifty fetuses were included. The score of CA, US, and PMMRI was respectively 53, 37, and 46. Compared with US-PMMRI, CA added information in 2 cases (4%) with major abnormalities and 7 cases (14%) with minor abnormalities. PMMRI and US were concordant in 36/50 (72%) fetuses. Separate US/PMMRI sensitivities and specificities for detecting major body malformations respectively were 80%/80% and 100%/94%. Combined US-PMMRI had a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 94%. Two cardiac malformations (2/6) were only described by CA. CONCLUSIONS After prenatal US and PMMRI, few additional fetal body malformations are discovered with CA. Nevertheless, fetal heart autopsy remains mandatory. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT A cardiac conventional autopsy complemented by prenatal ultrasound and post-mortem MRI allows to detect all major fetal body abnormalities. With this efficient and much less invasive approach, a higher acceptance rate of fetal autopsy can be expected. KEY POINTS • Excepting cardiac malformations, most major fetal body malformations can reliably be identified by prenatal US combined with post-mortem MRI. • In the post-mortem diagnosis of fetal body malformations, a conventional autopsy limited to the fetal heart might replace a full body autopsy after a well-conducted prenatal US and post-mortem MRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Moeremans
- Department of Radiology, Hôpital Delta (CHIREC), 1160, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Fred E Avni
- Department of Radiology, Hôpital Delta (CHIREC), 1160, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nicky d'Haene
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1070, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ngoc My Lam
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1070, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Thierry Metens
- Department of Radiology, Hôpital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1070, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Aurélie D'Hondt
- Department of Radiology, Hôpital Delta (CHIREC), 1160, Brussels, Belgium
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Simcock IC, Shelmerdine SC, Hutchinson JC, Sebire NJ, Arthurs OJ. Body weight-based iodinated contrast immersion timing for human fetal postmortem microfocus computed tomography. BJR Open 2024; 6:tzad006. [PMID: 38352185 PMCID: PMC10860501 DOI: 10.1093/bjro/tzad006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the length of time required to achieve full iodination using potassium tri-iodide as a contrast agent, prior to human fetal postmortem microfocus computed tomography (micro-CT) imaging. Methods Prospective assessment of optimal contrast iodination was conducted across 157 human fetuses (postmortem weight range 2-298 g; gestational age range 12-37 weeks), following micro-CT imaging. Simple linear regression was conducted to analyse which fetal demographic factors could produce the most accurate estimate for optimal iodination time. Results Postmortem body weight (r2 = 0.6435) was better correlated with iodination time than gestational age (r2 = 0.1384), producing a line of best fit, y = [0.0304 × body weight (g)] - 2.2103. This can be simplified for clinical use whereby immersion time (days) = [0.03 × body weight (g)] - 2.2. Using this formula, for example, a 100-g fetus would take 5.2 days to reach optimal contrast enhancement. Conclusions The simplified equation can now be used to provide estimation times for fetal contrast preparation time prior to micro-CT imaging and can be used to manage service throughput and parental expectation for return of their fetus. Advances in knowledge A simple equation from empirical data can now be used to estimate preparation time for human fetal postmortem micro-CT imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian C Simcock
- Department of Clinical Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London WC1N 3JH, United Kingdom
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom
- NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, London WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom
| | - Susan C Shelmerdine
- Department of Clinical Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London WC1N 3JH, United Kingdom
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom
- NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, London WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom
| | - John Ciaran Hutchinson
- NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, London WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom
- Department of Histopathology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London WC1N 3JH, United Kingdom
| | - Neil J Sebire
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom
- NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, London WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom
- Department of Histopathology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London WC1N 3JH, United Kingdom
| | - Owen J Arthurs
- Department of Clinical Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London WC1N 3JH, United Kingdom
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom
- NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, London WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom
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De Keersmaecker B, Dendas W, Aertsen M, De Catte L. Postmortem MR in termination of pregnancy for central nervous system (CNS) anomalies. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2023; 36:2197098. [PMID: 37031966 DOI: 10.1080/14767058.2023.2197098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the concordance of conventional autopsy (CA) and postmortem magnetic resonance (MR) after termination of pregnancy (TOP) in fetuses with prenatally detected central nervous system (CNS) anomalies. Second, to determine the most informative postmortem investigation in parental counseling. METHODS All TOPs between 2006 and 2016 with prenatally detected CNS involvement and having a postmortem MR and CA as postmortem examinations were retrospectively analyzed and concordance levels were established. RESULTS Of 764 TOPs, 255 cases had a CNS anomaly detected prenatally (33.4%). Fetal genetic anomalies (n = 40) and cases without both postmortem MR and CA were excluded, leaving 68 cases for analysis.Disagreement between postmortem MR and CA was observed in 22 cases (32.4%). In eight cases (11.8%), more information was obtained by CA compared with MR. However, only two cases with major additional findings were found when compared with prenatal diagnosis. In 14 cases (20.6%), MR was superior to CA either because of additional cerebral anomalies undetected by CA (n = 5) and/or because of severe autolysis hindering pathology of the CNS (n = 9). CONCLUSIONS Our data point out that an adequate postmortem evaluation, valuable in parental counseling, can be provided by a postmortem MR in 97% of the cases.Key PointsAn adequate postmortem evaluation, valuable in parental counseling, can be provided by a postmortem (PM) magnetic resonance (MR) in the majority of cases.PM MR is an excellent postmortem imaging tool for the brain.In cases with brain autolysis, PM MR is often the only informative PM investigation tool.PM MR is an essential adjunct to CA in the PM evaluation of pregnancies terminated for a central nervous system (CNS) anomaly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart De Keersmaecker
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, AZ Groeninge, Kortrijk, Belgium
| | - Wendy Dendas
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sint-Trudo Hospital, Sint-Truiden, Belgium
| | - Michael Aertsen
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Luc De Catte
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Tijssen MPM, Gregoire CAS, Robben SGF, Severens-Rijvers CAH, Klein WM, Hofman PAM. Post-mortem radiology in fetal and neonatal death: the diagnostic value of post-mortem MRI versus autopsy regarding non-cardiac thoracic and abdominal abnormalities. Clin Radiol 2023; 78:e872-e880. [PMID: 37633747 DOI: 10.1016/j.crad.2023.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
AIM To compare the diagnostic value and accuracy of post-mortem magnetic resonance imaging (PMMRI) and autopsy for non-cardiac thoracic and abdominal abnormalities in fetal death. MATERIALS AND METHODS This single-institution retrospective study included all consecutive cases of fetal and perinatal death between January 2015 and December 2021 for which PMMRI followed by autopsy was conducted. These cases comprised fetuses at >18 weeks of gestation and preterm and term neonates who lived for <24 h. All PMMRI and autopsy reports were re-assessed and scored for seven non-cardiac thoracic and 52 abdominal abnormalities, and concordance between autopsy and PMMRI findings was determined as the primary outcome. RESULTS Eighty cases were included in this study. Fetal loss was caused by termination of pregnancy in 80% of cases. Further, the mean gestational age was 166 days (23 weeks and 5 days, range 126-283 days). The concordance between PMMRI and autopsy for non-cardiac thoracic and abdominal abnormalities was 83.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] 71.3-83.3) and 76.3% (95% CI 65.8-84.2%), respectively, with a substantial and moderate strength of agreement (Cohen's kappa = 0.63 and 0.51 respectively). CONCLUSION PMMRI exhibited good overall diagnostic value for non-cardiac thoracic and abdominal abnormalities, specifically large structural abnormalities. PMMRI may offer parents and physicians a valuable addition to autopsy for the detection of non-cardiac thoracic and abdominal abnormalities, or even an alternative option when parents do not consent to autopsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- M P M Tijssen
- Department of Radiology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
| | - C A S Gregoire
- Maastricht University, Faculty of Medicine, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - S G F Robben
- Department of Radiology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - C A H Severens-Rijvers
- Department of Pathology, GROW, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - W M Klein
- Department of Radiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - P A M Hofman
- Department of Radiology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands
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Simcock IC, Lamouroux A, Sebire NJ, Shelmerdine SC, Arthurs OJ. Less-invasive autopsy for early pregnancy loss. Prenat Diagn 2023; 43:937-949. [PMID: 37127547 DOI: 10.1002/pd.6361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Autopsy investigations provide valuable information regarding fetal death that can assist in the parental bereavement process, and influence future pregnancies, but conventional autopsy is often declined by parents because of its invasive approach. This has led to the development of less-invasive autopsy investigations based on imaging technology to provide a more accessible and acceptable choice for parents when investigating their loss. Whilst the development and use of more conventional clinical imaging techniques (radiographs, CT, MRI, US) are well described in the literature for fetuses over 20 weeks of gestational age, these investigations have limited diagnostic accuracy in imaging smaller fetuses. Techniques such as ultra-high-field MRI (>3T) and micro-focus computed tomography have been shown to have higher diagnostic accuracy whilst still being acceptable to parents. By further developing and increasing the availability of these more innovative imaging techniques, parents will be provided with a greater choice of acceptable options to investigate their loss, which may in turn increase their uptake. We provide a narrative review focussing on the development of high-resolution, non-invasive imaging techniques to evaluate early gestational pregnancy loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian C Simcock
- Department of Clinical Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK
- NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK
| | - Audrey Lamouroux
- Department of Clinical Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK
- Obstetrical Gynaecology Department, Nîmes University Hospital, Nîmes, France
- Clinical Genetics Department, Montpellier University Hospital, Montpellier, France
- ICAR Research Team, LIRMM, CNRS and Charles Coulomb Laboratory, UMR 5221 CNRS-UM, BNIF User Facility Imaging, University of Montpellier, Nîmes and Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Neil J Sebire
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK
- NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK
- Department of Histopathology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK
| | - Susan C Shelmerdine
- Department of Clinical Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK
- NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK
| | - Owen J Arthurs
- Department of Clinical Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK
- NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK
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7
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Berger C, Bauer M, Scheurer E, Lenz C. Temperature correction of post mortem quantitative magnetic resonance imaging using real-time forehead temperature acquisitions. Forensic Sci Int 2023; 348:111738. [PMID: 37263059 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2023.111738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Performing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of deceased is challenging due to altered body temperatures compared to in vivo temperatures and, hence, requires a temperature correction. This study investigates the possibility to correct brain MRI parameters real-time and non invasively based on the forehead temperature. 17 post mortem cases were included and their forehead temperatures were measured continuously during the in situ brain MRI protocol consisting of a diffusion tensor imaging, multi-contrast spin echo, multi-echo gradient echo and inversion recovery spin echo sequence. Linear models were fitted to the quantitative MRI parameters in a forensically interesting temperature range for white matter, cerebral cortex and deep gray matter, separately, and the influence of the forehead temperature on the MRI parameters was determined. A statistically significant temperature sensitivity was found for T2 and mean diffusivity in white matter, for T1 in cerebral cortex, as well as for T1 and mean diffusivity in deep gray matter. Linear models were computed to temperature correct these MRI parameters in in situ post mortem scans to allow their comparison regardless of temperature. The here presented real-time and non invasive temperature correction method for the brain presents a crucial precondition for quantitative in situ post mortem MRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celine Berger
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Institute of Forensic Medicine, Health Department Basel-Stadt, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Melanie Bauer
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Institute of Forensic Medicine, Health Department Basel-Stadt, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Eva Scheurer
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Institute of Forensic Medicine, Health Department Basel-Stadt, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Lenz
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Institute of Forensic Medicine, Health Department Basel-Stadt, Basel, Switzerland.
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Moradi B, Habibi Z, Badraqe N, Rahmani M, Shirazi M, Sharbaf FR, Azadbakht J, Farnoosh A, Parooie F, Miratashi Yazdi SN. Postmortem Magnetic Resonance Imaging of In Utero Fetuses and Its Relationship With Postmortem Interval: A Multi-Organ Observational Study on Reduced Fetuses of Complicated Multiple Pregnancies. J Magn Reson Imaging 2023; 57:952-961. [PMID: 36054250 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.28388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite technological advancements in perinatal imaging, autopsy examination is still regarded as the reference standard to determine the time and reason of the fetal death. PURPOSE This study was conducted to identify the intrauterine postmortem magnetic resonance imaging (PMMR) findings of fetuses, who underwent radiofrequency ablation (RFA). STUDY TYPE Prospective. POPULATION Fifty-three twin/triplet complicated pregnancies scheduled for selective reduction of one of the fetuses by RFA were included. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE The imaging methods used are T1-weighted gradient-echo imaging (T1 GRE), T2 half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo (SSTSE), and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) sequences. ASSESSMENT The MRIs were interpreted by three radiologists. STATISTICAL TESTS Data were analyzed using the software package SPSS Statistics Version 22.0. The used tests included one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Duncan tests (significance level: P value <0.05). This analysis was performed with scikit-learn library (version 1.1.1) in Python version 3.9. RESULTS Average PMMR scores of orbit, brain, and abdomen showed significant differences among different PM interval subgroups. The brain apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) numbers of reduced and living fetuses were significantly different at any PM interval. To determine which findings are closely associated with the timing of fetal death, five different methods of feature selection were employed. The top eight selected features achieved the highest area under the curve (AUC) of 78.19%. DATA CONCLUSION In utero, PMMR findings may be associated with the time of fetal death. Among different fetal organs evaluated, particularly PMMR top eight features specifically scores of orbits were associated with PM intrauterine time after death. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 2 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Behnaz Moradi
- Department of Radiology, Yas Hospital Complex, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Advanced Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Research Center (ADIR), Medical Imaging Center, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Habibi
- Department of Radiology, Sina General Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Narges Badraqe
- Advanced Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Research Center (ADIR), Medical Imaging Center, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Rahmani
- Advanced Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Research Center (ADIR), Medical Imaging Center, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahboobeh Shirazi
- Maternal, Fetal, and Neonatal Research Center, Yas Hospital Complex, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh R Sharbaf
- Maternal, Fetal, and Neonatal Research Center, Yas Hospital Complex, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Javid Azadbakht
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Amirreza Farnoosh
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Fateme Parooie
- Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology Research Center, Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Zabol, Iran
| | - Seyedeh N Miratashi Yazdi
- Advanced Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Research Center (ADIR), Medical Imaging Center, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Objective evaluation of chest findings in infants by postmortem computed tomography. Leg Med (Tokyo) 2023; 60:102178. [PMID: 36495780 DOI: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2022.102178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to review the findings of computed tomography (CT) performed early postmortem on infants and to clarify the postmortem CT lung findings that occur in the absence of abnormal histopathological findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS From July 2016 to March 2022, 72 infants were autopsied with postmortem CT (41 boys 31 girls, aged 0-36 (mean 8.2) months). Autopsy and postmortem CT lung findings were compared with the causes of death identified by the autopsies, namely sudden infant death syndrome (n = 37), acute circulatory system disease (18), drowning (7), asphyxia (5), and dehydration/undernutrition (5). RESULTS The %aerated lung volume (-700 HU or less) ranged from 0 % to 33 % (mean 1.5 %, median 0 %), being <1 % in 61 cases (84.7 %) and >3 % in 3/5 (60 %) of the dehydration/undernutrition group. The dehydration/undernutrition group showed significant preservation of lung field air content compared with the other causes of death groups (p < 0.05). Receiver characteristic curve analysis showed a cut off value of 0.8 % and area under the curve of 0.88806. The drowning group had significantly greater pleural cavity fluid retention than the other causes of death groups (p < 0.05). No correlation was found between postmortem interval and pleural cavity fluid retention. However, resuscitation time and pleural cavity fluid retention were correlated. CONCLUSION Evaluation of CT values on postmortem lung fields of infants usually reveals a marked decrease in air content. When air content exceeds 0.8% on infant postmortem CT, dehydration/undernutrition should be considered in the differential diagnosis.
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O'Keefe H, Shenfine R, Brown M, Beyer F, Rankin J. Are non-invasive or minimally invasive autopsy techniques for detecting cause of death in prenates, neonates and infants accurate? A systematic review of diagnostic test accuracy. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e064774. [PMID: 36609326 PMCID: PMC9827258 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-064774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To assess the diagnostic accuracy of non-invasive or minimally invasive autopsy techniques in deaths under 1 year of age. DESIGN This is a systematic review of diagnostic test accuracy. The protocol is registered on PROSPERO. PARTICIPANTS Deaths from conception to one adjusted year of age. SEARCH METHODS MEDLINE (Ovid), EMBASE (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCO), the Cochrane Library, Scopus and grey literature sources were searched from inception to November 2021. DIAGNOSTIC TESTS Non-invasive or minimally invasive diagnostic tests as an alternative to traditional autopsy. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Studies were included if participants were under one adjusted year of age, with index tests conducted prior to the reference standard.Data were extracted from eligible studies using piloted forms. Risk of bias was assessed using Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2. A narrative synthesis was conducted following the Synthesis without Meta-Analysis guidelines. Vote counting was used to assess the direction of effect. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Direction of effect was expressed as percentage of patients per study. FINDINGS We included 54 direct evidence studies (68 articles/trials), encompassing 3268 cases and eight index tests. The direction of effect was positive for postmortem ultrasound and antenatal echography, although with varying levels of success. Conversely, the direction of effect was against virtual autopsy. For the remaining tests, the direction of effect was inconclusive.A further 134 indirect evidence studies (135 articles/trials) were included, encompassing 6242 perinatal cases. The addition of these results had minimal impact on the direct findings yet did reveal other techniques, which may be favourable alternatives to autopsy.Seven trial registrations were included but yielded no results. CONCLUSIONS Current evidence is insufficient to make firm conclusions about the generalised use of non-invasive or minimally invasive autopsy techniques in relation to all perinatal population groups.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42021223254.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah O'Keefe
- NIHR Innovation Observatory, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Rebekka Shenfine
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Melissa Brown
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Fiona Beyer
- NIHR Innovation Observatory, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Judith Rankin
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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Hustings N, Thonissen Y, Cockmartin L, Vanderseypen K, Baldewijns M, De Catte L, Thal DR, Aertsen M. Fetal brain maceration score on postmortem magnetic resonance imaging vs. conventional autopsy. Pediatr Radiol 2022; 53:929-941. [PMID: 36580101 DOI: 10.1007/s00247-022-05559-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Postmortem fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been on the rise since it was proven to be a good alternative to conventional autopsy. Since the fetal brain is sensitive to postmortem changes, extensive tissue fixation is required for macroscopic and microscopic assessment. Estimation of brain maceration on MRI, before autopsy, may optimize histopathological resources. OBJECTIVE The aim of the study is to develop an MRI-based postmortem fetal brain maceration score and to correlate it with brain maceration as assessed by autopsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS This retrospective single-center study includes 79 fetuses who had postmortem MRI followed by autopsy. Maceration was scored on MRI on a numerical severity scale, based on our brain-specific maceration score and the whole-body score of Montaldo. Additionally, maceration was scored on histopathology with a semiquantitative severity scale. Both the brain-specific and the whole-body maceration imaging scores were correlated with the histopathological maceration score. Intra- and interobserver agreements were tested for the brain-specific maceration score. RESULTS The proposed brain-specific maceration score correlates well with fetal brain maceration assessed by autopsy (τ = 0.690), compared to a poorer correlation of the whole-body method (τ = 0.452). The intra- and interobserver agreement was excellent (correlation coefficients of 0.943 and 0.864, respectively). CONCLUSION We present a brain-specific postmortem MRI maceration score that correlates well with the degree of fetal brain maceration seen at histopathological exam. The score is reliably reproduced by different observers with different experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nico Hustings
- University Hospital of Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Yannick Thonissen
- Department of Radiology, Heilig-Hart Hospital of Mol, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lesley Cockmartin
- Department of Radiology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | | | - Luc De Catte
- Department of Gynecology, University Hospital of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dietmar Rudolf Thal
- Department of Pathology, University Hospital of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Brain Institute, KU-Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Michael Aertsen
- Department of Radiology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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12
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The Role and Place of Thanatoradiological Studies in the Pathological Examination of Fetuses and Newborns. Bull Exp Biol Med 2022; 173:691-705. [DOI: 10.1007/s10517-022-05615-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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13
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Ashby C, Razzak AN, Kogler A, Amireh A, Dempsey J, Lin KK, Waller J, Jha P. The Practicality of Post-mortem Imaging in Prenatal, Perinatal, and Pediatric Cases. Cureus 2022; 14:e28859. [PMID: 36225432 PMCID: PMC9536932 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.28859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The essential role of the autopsy is seen in its contributions to medical care, scientific research, and family counseling. Major contributions are also noted in forensic pathology as a means to determine cause-of-death for legal and medical experts. However, autopsy acceptance rates are quite low due to an array of reasons including delayed burials, faith, and moral burdening. Thus, non-invasive post-mortem imaging strategies are becoming increasingly popular. The objective of this literature review is to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of numerous post-mortem imaging modalities and consider their benefits over the traditional autopsy. The need for expertise in image interpretation for pediatric and perinatal cases is also discussed. A variety of publications, totaling 32 pieces, were selected from available literature on the basis of relevance. These articles studied various perinatal and pediatric post-mortem imaging strategies and their applications in clinical practice. Key strategies include post-mortem MRI, post-mortem CT, fetal post-mortem sonography, post-mortem computed tomographic angiography, and three-dimensional surface scanning. There is a general consensus that no standard model for post-mortem imaging currently exists in the United States and European countries. Amongst the imaging modems studied, post-mortem MRI has been acknowledged to show the greatest promise in diagnostic accuracy for fetal age groups. Most studies demonstrated that post-mortem CT had limited use for autopsy. Post-mortem imaging strategies for autopsy have high potential given their minimal invasiveness and increasing popularity. Furthermore, it is vital to crafting a global standard procedure for post-mortem imaging for prenatal, perinatal, and pediatric cases to better understand the cause of death, decomposition factors, and effects in-utero, and to provide an alternative to traditional autopsy.
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14
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Rüegger CM, Gascho D, Bode PK, Bruder E, Haslinger C, Ross S, Schmid K, Knöpfli C, Hofer LJ, Held L, Martinez RM, Bucher HU. Post-mortem magnetic resonance imaging with computed tomography-guided biopsy for foetuses and infants: a prospective, multicentre, cross-sectional study. BMC Pediatr 2022; 22:464. [PMID: 35918685 PMCID: PMC9347089 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-022-03519-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Post-mortem imaging has been suggested as an alternative to conventional autopsy in the prenatal and postnatal periods. Noninvasive autopsies do not provide tissue for histological examination, which may limit their clinical value, especially when infection-related morbidity and mortality are suspected. Methods We performed a prospective, multicentre, cross-sectional study to compare the diagnostic performance of post-mortem magnetic resonance imaging with computed tomography-guided biopsy (Virtopsy®) with that of conventional autopsy in foetuses and infants. Cases referred for conventional autopsy were eligible for enrolment. After post-mortem imaging using a computed tomography scanner and a magnetic resonance imaging unit, computed tomography-guided tissue sampling was performed. Virtopsy results were compared with conventional autopsy in determining the likely final cause of death and major pathologies. The primary outcome was the proportion of cases for which the same cause of death was determined by both methods. Secondary outcomes included the proportion of false positive and false negative major pathological lesions detected by virtopsy and the proportion of computed tomography-guided biopsies that were adequate for histological examination. Results Overall, 101 cases (84 fetuses, 17 infants) were included. Virtopsy and autopsy identified the same cause of death in 91 cases (90.1%, 95% CI 82.7 to 94.5). The sensitivity and specificity of virtopsy for determining the cause of death were 96.6% (95% CI 90.6 to 98.8) and 41.7% (95% CI 19.3 to 68.0), respectively. In 32 cases (31.7%, 95% CI 23.4 to 41.3), major pathological findings remained undetected by virtopsy, and in 45 cases (44.6%, 95% CI 35.2 to 54.3), abnormalities were diagnosed by virtopsy but not confirmed by autopsy. Computed tomography-guided tissue sampling was adequate for pathological comments in 506 of 956 biopsies (52.7%) and added important diagnostic value in five of 30 cases (16.1%) with an unclear cause of death before autopsy compared with postmortem imaging alone. In 19 of 20 infective deaths (95%), biopsies revealed infection-related tissue changes. Infection was confirmed by placental examination in all fetal cases. Conclusions Virtopsy demonstrated a high concordance with conventional autopsy for the detection of cause of death but was less accurate for the evaluation of major pathologies. Computed tomography-guided biopsy had limited additional diagnostic value. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01888380). Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12887-022-03519-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Martin Rüegger
- Newborn Research, Department of Neonatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Dominic Gascho
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Imaging, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Peter Karl Bode
- Department of Pathology, University Hospital and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Elisabeth Bruder
- Pathology, Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology, University Hospital and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christian Haslinger
- Department of Obstetrics, University Hospital and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Steffen Ross
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Imaging, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kevin Schmid
- Department of Intensive Care and Neonatology, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Knöpfli
- Newborn Research, Department of Neonatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lisa J Hofer
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute (EBPI), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Leonhard Held
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute (EBPI), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rosa Maria Martinez
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Imaging, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hans Ulrich Bucher
- Newborn Research, Department of Neonatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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15
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Accuracy and clinical utility of standard postmortem radiological imaging after early second trimester termination of pregnancy. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2022; 273:75-80. [PMID: 35504117 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2022.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aims to assess accuracy and clinical utility of postmortem radiological exams [Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed Tomography (CT) and Radiography (XR)] after termination of pregnancy at <23 weeks' gestation for congenital fetal malformations in comparison to autopsy. STUDY DESIGN This a prospective single-center study on fetuses underwent termination of pregnancy for fetal defects. Overall concordance between any radiological exam and autopsy was evaluated. For postmortem MRI only, the following subgroups were analyzed: 1) total agreement; 2) agreement for main findings; 3) agreement for main findings but major relevant additional findings at autopsy; 4) total disagreement. RESULTS 174 cases were collected. The overall concordance with autopsy for main findings was 71% (115/163) for postmortem MRI and 99% (173/174) for prenatal ultrasound (US). Postmortem MRI detection rate was high for central nervous system (CNS) defects (98%), gastrointestinal, genitourinary and respiratory defects (100%), while it was poor for cardiovascular and musculoskeletal defects (25% and 42%, respectively). For musculoskeletal abnormalities, the performance of postmortem XR and postmortem CT exams improved the detection rate from 42% for postmortem MRI alone to 92%. CONCLUSIONS Postmortem MRI has a good overall concordance for fetal defects after termination of pregnancy performed at <23 weeks. Along with autopsy, postmortem MRI may be offered for all cases of CNS defects in order to prevent inconclusive exams due to autolysis of the brain tissue, while postmortem CT and postmortem XR are indicated for musculoskeletal defects. In the presence of multiple abnormalities or cardiac defects the couple should be counseled on the poor performance of radiological investigations.
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16
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Shelmerdine SC, Arthurs OJ. Post-mortem perinatal imaging: what is the evidence? Br J Radiol 2022:20211078. [PMID: 35451852 DOI: 10.1259/bjr.20211078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-mortem imaging for the investigation of perinatal deaths is an acceptable tool amongst parents and religious groups, enabling a less invasive autopsy examination. Nevertheless, availability is scarce nationwide, and there is some debate amongst radiologists regarding the best practice and optimal protocols for performing such studies. Much of the published literature to date focusses on single centre experiences or interesting case reports. Diagnostic accuracy studies are available for a variety of individual imaging modalities (e.g. post-mortem CT, MRI, ultrasound and micro-CT), however, assimilating this information is important when attempting to start a local service.In this article, we present a comprehensive review summarising the latest research, recently published international guidelines, and describe which imaging modalities are best suited for specific indications. When the antenatal clinical findings are not supported by the post-mortem imaging, we also suggest how and when an invasive autopsy may be considered. In general, a collaborative working relationship within a multidisciplinary team (consisting of radiologists, radiographers, the local pathology department, mortuary staff, foetal medicine specialists, obstetricians and bereavement midwives) is vital for a successful service.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan C Shelmerdine
- Department of Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.,UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK.,NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, 30 Guilford Street, Bloomsbury, London, UK.,Department of Radiology, St. George's Hospital, Blackshaw Road, London, UK
| | - Owen J Arthurs
- Department of Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.,UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK.,NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, 30 Guilford Street, Bloomsbury, London, UK
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17
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Gupta N, Martinez-Rios C, El Demellawy D, Barrowman N, Miller E. Diagnostic Evaluation of the Posterior Fossa with Antenatal and Post-Mortem MRI: An Unfolded View. JOURNAL OF FETAL MEDICINE 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s40556-021-00329-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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18
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Gupta N, Gupta A, Kumar A, Kabra M, Sharma R, Kumar Gupta A, Jana M. Post-mortem MRI in stillbirth: normal imaging appearances. Eur J Radiol 2022; 148:110166. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2022.110166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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19
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Ducloyer M, Carballeira-Alvarez A, Tuchtan L, Delteil C, Piercecchi-Marti MD, Gorincour G, Prodhomme O. Normal Post-mortem Imaging Findings in Foetuses and Children. FORENSIC IMAGING 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-83352-7_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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20
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Child Abuse, a Post-mortem Forensic Perspective. FORENSIC IMAGING 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-83352-7_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
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21
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Staicu A, Albu C, Popa-Stanila R, Bondor CI, Rotar IC, Stamatian F, Muresan D. Diagnostic value of virtual autopsy using pm-MRI at 3T on malformed second trimester fetuses vs classic autopsy. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260357. [PMID: 34843527 PMCID: PMC8629304 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To determine the diagnostic value of virtual autopsy using post mortem-MRI (pm-MRI) at 3Tesla (T) compared to classic autopsy for the confirmation of fetal structural anomalies and secondly to establish which cases of termination of pregnancy would benefit mostly from a virtual autopsy. Methods In each of 32 fetuses included in the study, 32 anatomical structures were assessed, after termination of pregnancy in the second trimester. All cases were evaluated by prenatal ultrasonography, virtual autopsy and classic autopsy, and then divided into four groups: Cerebral Group, Cardiac Group, Renal Group and Other Group (miscellaneous group). The concordance of virtual autopsy with classic autopsy was calculated overall and for each group and each structural item. Also, the concordance between the two methods was assessed using a diagnostic error score (DgE_score), calculated as the absolute value of the difference between the number of malformations detected by classic autopsy per case (CA score) and the number of malformations detected at virtual autopsy per case (VA score). Results Overall virtual autopsy demonstrated a diagnostic sensitivity (Se) compared to classic autopsy of 67.33% [95% CI 57.28–76.33], with a specificity (Sp) of 98.37% [95% CI 97.33–99.09], a positive predictive value (PPV) of 81.93% [95% CI 71.95–89.52], a negative predictive value (NPV) of 96.49% [95% CI 95.11–97.57] achieving a diagnostic accuracy of 95.31% [95% CI 93.83–96.52]. Overall, no statistic significant correlation was demonstrated between DgE_score and the gestational age of the fetuses or between DgE_score and the weight of the fetuses, but a significant correlation was revealed between the virtual autopsy and classic autopsy score. The diagnostic utility of virtual autopsy using pm-MRI at 3 T as compared to classic autopsy for each category of termination of pregnancy revealed in the Cerebral Group a Se of 80.00% [95% CI 28.36–99.49], with a 96.30% [95% CI 81.03–99.91], a PPV of 80.00% [95% CI 35.75–96.64] a NPV of 96.30% [95% CI 81.81–99.34], with a diagnostic accuracy of 93.75% [95% CI 79.19% to 99.23] and a Cohen’s Kappa coefficient of 0.76 [95% CI 0.4494–1.0765]; in the Renal Group a Se and Sp of 100%, but in the Cardiac Group the Se was only 60.00% [95% CI 26.24–87.84], Sp 75% [95% CI 34.91–96.81], the PPV 75.00% [95% CI 44.92–91.69], NPV 60% [95% CI 38.87–77.96], with a diagnostic accuracy of 66.67% [95% CI 40.99–86.66] and a Cohen’s Kappa coefficient of 0.32 [95% CI -0.07–0.76]. Conclusions The results support virtual autopsy using pm-MRI at 3T as a reliable alternative to classic autopsy for the non-forensic analysis of second trimester fetuses. Analyzing the diagnostic utility of virtual autopsy using pm-MRI at 3 T for the confirmation of prenatal ultrasound findings in second trimester fetuses as compared to classic autopsy, the best results were obtained in the Cerebral and Renal Group. Reserved results were found in the Cardiac Group. Therefore, for the pregnancies with termination of pregnancy for cerebral or renal abnormalities, virtual autopsy by pm-MRI at 3T can be taken into consideration as a first-line investigation to confirm the prenatal findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adelina Staicu
- 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Iuliu Haţieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj‐Napoca, Romania
- * E-mail:
| | - Camelia Albu
- Department of Pathology, Iuliu Haţieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj‐Napoca, Romania
- Centre of Advanced Research Studies, Emergency County Hospital, IMOGEN, Cluj‐Napoca, Romania
| | - Roxana Popa-Stanila
- Centre of Advanced Research Studies, Emergency County Hospital, IMOGEN, Cluj‐Napoca, Romania
- Department of Radiology, Iuliu Haţieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj‐Napoca, Romania
| | - Cosmina Ioana Bondor
- Department of Medical Informatics and Biostatistics, Iuliu Haţieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj‐Napoca, Romania
| | - Ioana Cristina Rotar
- 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Iuliu Haţieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj‐Napoca, Romania
| | - Florin Stamatian
- Centre of Advanced Research Studies, Emergency County Hospital, IMOGEN, Cluj‐Napoca, Romania
| | - Daniel Muresan
- 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Iuliu Haţieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj‐Napoca, Romania
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22
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Ren JY, Ji H, Zhu M, Dong SZ. DWI in Brains of Fetuses with Congenital Heart Disease: A Case-Control MR Imaging Study. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2021; 42:2040-2045. [PMID: 34475195 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a7267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Abnormal ADC values are seen in ischemic brain lesions such as acute or chronic hypoxia. We aimed to assess whether ADC values in the developing brain measured by in utero DWI were different in fetuses with congenital heart disease compared with healthy controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS In utero DWI was performed in 50 fetuses with congenital heart disease and 100 healthy controls at a similar gestational age. Pair-wise ADC values of the ROIs were manually delineated on each side of the frontal and periatrial WM and in the basal ganglia, thalamus, and cerebellar hemisphere, as well as a single measurement in the pons. RESULTS Fetuses with congenital heart disease had significantly lower ADC values in frontal and periatrial WM and the pons than controls (all P < .05) in the early stages of pregnancy. However, ADC values in the thalamus were higher for fetuses with congenital heart disease than for controls (gestational age, ≥26 weeks). For ADC values in the cerebellar hemisphere, there was no obvious significance between cases and controls (P = .07) in the late stages of pregnancy. Basal ganglia ADC values were consistently not significantly different between the 2 groups during the early and late stages of pregnancy (P = .47; .21). CONCLUSIONS Abnormal brain diffusivity can be detected using in utero DWI in fetuses with congenital heart disease. Abnormal ADC values found at a mean gestational age of 26 weeks suggest structural changes, which may provide an early indicator of the impact of congenital heart disease on the developing brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- J-Y Ren
- From the Department of Radiology, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - H Ji
- From the Department of Radiology, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - M Zhu
- From the Department of Radiology, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - S-Z Dong
- From the Department of Radiology, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, P.R. China
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23
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Pérez-Serrano C, Bartolomé Á, Bargalló N, Sebastià C, Nadal A, Gómez O, Oleaga L. Perinatal post-mortem magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the central nervous system (CNS): a pictorial review. Insights Imaging 2021; 12:104. [PMID: 34292413 PMCID: PMC8298710 DOI: 10.1186/s13244-021-01051-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Central nervous system (CNS) abnormalities cause approximately 32–37.7% of terminations of pregnancy (TOP). Autopsy is currently the gold standard for assessing dead foetuses and stillborn. However, it has limitations and is sometimes subject to parental rejection. Recent studies have described post-mortem foetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as an alternative and even complementary to autopsy for CNS assessment. Radiologists now play a key role in the evaluation of perinatal deaths. Assessment of foetal CNS abnormalities is difficult, and interpretation of foetal studies requires familiarisation with normal and abnormal findings in post-mortem MRI studies as well as the strengths and limitations of the imaging studies. The purpose of this pictorial review is to report our experience in the post-mortem MRI evaluation of the CNS system, including a description of the protocol used, normal CNS findings related to post-mortem status, abnormal CNS findings in our sample, and the correlation of these findings with histopathological results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Pérez-Serrano
- Radiology Department, CDIC, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, C/Villarroel no. 170, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Álvaro Bartolomé
- Radiology Department, CDIC, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, C/Villarroel no. 170, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Núria Bargalló
- Radiology Department, CDIC, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, C/Villarroel no. 170, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carmen Sebastià
- Radiology Department, CDIC, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, C/Villarroel no. 170, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alfons Nadal
- Pathology Department, CDB, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, C/Villarroel no. 170, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Olga Gómez
- Gynecology Department, ICGON, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, C/Villarroel no. 170, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Oleaga
- Radiology Department, CDIC, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, C/Villarroel no. 170, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.,University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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24
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Shelmerdine SC, Hutchinson JC, Lewis C, Simcock IC, Sekar T, Sebire NJ, Arthurs OJ. A pragmatic evidence-based approach to post-mortem perinatal imaging. Insights Imaging 2021; 12:101. [PMID: 34264420 PMCID: PMC8282801 DOI: 10.1186/s13244-021-01042-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-mortem imaging has a high acceptance rate amongst parents and healthcare professionals as a non-invasive method for investigating perinatal deaths. Previously viewed as a 'niche' subspecialty, it is becoming increasingly requested, with general radiologists now more frequently asked to oversee and advise on appropriate imaging protocols. Much of the current literature to date has focussed on diagnostic accuracy and clinical experiences of individual centres and their imaging techniques (e.g. post-mortem CT, MRI, ultrasound and micro-CT), and pragmatic, evidence-based guidance for how to approach such referrals in real-world practice is lacking. In this review, we summarise the latest research and provide an approach and flowchart to aid decision-making for perinatal post-mortem imaging. We highlight key aspects of the maternal and antenatal history that radiologists should consider when protocolling studies (e.g. antenatal imaging findings and history), and emphasise important factors that could impact the diagnostic quality of post-mortem imaging examinations (e.g. post-mortem weight and time interval). Considerations regarding when ancillary post-mortem image-guided biopsy tests are beneficial are also addressed, and we provide key references for imaging protocols for a variety of cross-sectional imaging modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan C Shelmerdine
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, WC1N 3JH, UK. .,UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK. .,Great Ormond Street Hospital NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK.
| | - J Ciaran Hutchinson
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, WC1N 3JH, UK.,UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK.,Great Ormond Street Hospital NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK
| | - Celine Lewis
- Population, Policy and Practice Department, UCL GOS Institute of Child Health, London, UK.,North Thames Genomic Laboratory Hub, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK
| | - Ian C Simcock
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, WC1N 3JH, UK.,UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK.,Great Ormond Street Hospital NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK
| | - Thivya Sekar
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, WC1N 3JH, UK.,UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK.,Great Ormond Street Hospital NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK
| | - Neil J Sebire
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, WC1N 3JH, UK.,UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK.,Great Ormond Street Hospital NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK
| | - Owen J Arthurs
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, WC1N 3JH, UK.,UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK.,Great Ormond Street Hospital NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK
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Simcock IC, Shelmerdine SC, Hutchinson JC, Sebire NJ, Arthurs OJ. Human fetal whole-body postmortem microfocus computed tomographic imaging. Nat Protoc 2021; 16:2594-2614. [PMID: 33854254 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-021-00512-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Perinatal autopsy is the standard method for investigating fetal death; however, it requires dissection of the fetus. Human fetal microfocus computed tomography (micro-CT) provides a generally more acceptable and less invasive imaging alternative for bereaved parents to determine the cause of early pregnancy loss compared with conventional autopsy techniques. In this protocol, we describe the four main stages required to image fetuses using micro-CT. Preparation of the fetus includes staining with the contrast agent potassium triiodide and takes 3-19 d, depending on the size of the fetus and the time taken to obtain consent for the procedure. Setup for imaging requires appropriate positioning of the fetus and takes 1 h. The actual imaging takes, on average, 2 h 40 min and involves initial test scans followed by high-definition diagnostic scans. Postimaging, 3 d are required to postprocess the fetus, including removal of the stain, and also to undertake artifact recognition and data transfer. This procedure produces high-resolution isotropic datasets, allowing for radio-pathological interpretations to be made and long-term digital archiving for re-review and data sharing, where required. The protocol can be undertaken following appropriate training, which includes both the use of micro-CT techniques and handling of postmortem tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian C Simcock
- Department of Clinical Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK.,UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK.,NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK
| | - Susan C Shelmerdine
- Department of Clinical Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK.,UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK.,NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK
| | - J Ciaran Hutchinson
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK.,NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK.,Department of Histopathology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK
| | - Neil J Sebire
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK.,NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK.,Department of Histopathology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK
| | - Owen J Arthurs
- Department of Clinical Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK. .,UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK. .,NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK.
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Uptake of perinatal autopsy has declined in the West over the past 30 years, largely because of reduced parental acceptance of a traditional invasive autopsy. Several studies have recently investigated the decline to identify the key factors and how they may be mitigated. RECENT FINDINGS Three main themes were identified that have been found to improve uptake of perinatal autopsy: improved communication, in particular ensuring the consent process was conducted as a conversation with time spent talking through the procedure and allowing time for questions; health professional training to ensure staff discussing autopsy with parents have adequate understanding of the procedure and are able to convey confidence and empathy; and availability of less invasive autopsy, including noninvasive as well as minimally invasive options. These should be offered alongside standard autopsy, which some parents may still prefer. SUMMARY This review highlights that the discussions that take place, and the options that are available to parents, can profoundly impact whether or not they consent to autopsy investigation. Further research should focus on the impact of offering less invasive options as well as evaluating the training and support materials that have recently been developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celine Lewis
- Population, Policy and Practice, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health
- North Thames Genomic Laboratory Hub, Great Ormond Street NHS Foundation Trust
| | - Ian C Simcock
- Department of Clinical Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health
- National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Owen J Arthurs
- Department of Clinical Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health
- National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, United Kingdom
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Bobić-Rasonja M, Pogledić I, Mitter C, Štajduhar A, Milković-Periša M, Trnski S, Bettelheim D, Hainfellner JA, Judaš M, Prayer D, Jovanov-Milošević N. Developmental Differences Between the Limbic and Neocortical Telencephalic Wall: An Intrasubject Slice-Matched 3 T MRI-Histological Correlative Study in Humans. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:3536-3550. [PMID: 33704445 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to investigate the interrelation of the signal intensities and thicknesses of the transient developmental zones in the cingulate and neocortical telencephalic wall, using T2-weighted 3 T-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histological scans from the same brain hemisphere. The study encompassed 24 postmortem fetal brains (15-35 postconceptional weeks, PCW). The measurements were performed using Fiji and NDP.view2. We found that T2w MR signal-intensity curves show a specific regional and developmental stage profile already at 15 PCW. The MRI-histological correlation reveals that the subventricular-intermediate zone (SVZ-IZ) contributes the most to the regional differences in the MRI-profile and zone thicknesses, growing by a factor of 2.01 in the cingulate, and 1.78 in the neocortical wall. The interrelations of zone or wall thicknesses, obtained by both methods, disclose a different rate and extent of shrinkage per region (highest in neocortical subplate and SVZ-IZ) and stage (highest in the early second half of fetal development), distorting the zones' proportion in histological sections. This intrasubject, slice-matched, 3 T correlative MRI-histological study provides important information about regional development of the cortical wall, critical for the design of MRI criteria for prenatal brain monitoring and early detection of cortical or other brain pathologies in human fetuses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihaela Bobić-Rasonja
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.,Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ivana Pogledić
- Division of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Mitter
- Division of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Andrija Štajduhar
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.,Andrija Štampar School of Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Marija Milković-Periša
- University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Department of Pathology and Cytology, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Sara Trnski
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Dieter Bettelheim
- Division of Obstetrics and Feto-Maternal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Johannes A Hainfellner
- Division of Neuropathology and Neurochemistry, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Miloš Judaš
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Daniela Prayer
- Division of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Nataša Jovanov-Milošević
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.,Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
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Shelmerdine SC, Sebire NJ, Arthurs OJ. Diagnostic accuracy of postmortem ultrasound vs postmortem 1.5-T MRI for non-invasive perinatal autopsy. ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY 2021; 57:449-458. [PMID: 32149428 PMCID: PMC8432154 DOI: 10.1002/uog.22012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To determine the diagnostic accuracy of postmortem magnetic resonance imaging (PM-MRI) and postmortem ultrasound (PM-US) for perinatal autopsy in the same patient cohort, and to determine whether PM-US can provide the same anatomical information as PM-MRI. METHODS In this prospective, 5-year (July 2014-July 2019) single-center study, we performed 1.5-T PM-MRI and PM-US in an unselected cohort of perinatal deaths. The diagnostic accuracies of both modalities were calculated, using autopsy as the reference standard. As a secondary objective, the concordance rates between the two imaging modalities for the overall main diagnosis and for five anatomical regions (brain, spine, thorax, heart and abdomen) were calculated. RESULTS During the study period, 136 cases underwent both PM-US and PM-MRI, of which 88 (64.7%) also underwent autopsy. There was no significant difference in the rates of concordance with autopsy between the two modalities for overall diagnosis (PM-US, 86.4% (95% CI, 77.7-92.0%) vs PM-MRI, 88.6% (95% CI, 80.3-93.7%)) or in the sensitivities and specificities for individual anatomical regions. There were more non-diagnostic PM-US than PM-MRI examinations for the brain (22.8% vs 3.7%) and heart (14.7% vs 5.1%). If an 'imaging-only' autopsy had been performed, PM-US would have achieved the same diagnosis as 1.5-T PM-MRI in 86.8% (95% CI, 80.0-91.5%) of cases, with the highest rates of agreement being for spine (99.3% (95% CI, 95.9-99.9%)) and cardiac (97.3% (95% CI, 92.4-99.1%)) findings and the lowest being for brain diagnoses (85.2% (95% CI, 76.9-90.8%)). CONCLUSION Although there were fewer non-diagnostic cases using PM-MRI than for PM-US, the high concordance rate for overall diagnosis suggests that PM-US could be used for triaging cases when PM-MRI access is limited or unavailable. © 2020 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. C. Shelmerdine
- Department of Clinical RadiologyGreat Ormond Street Hospital for ChildrenLondonUK
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child HealthGreat Ormond Street Hospital for ChildrenLondonUK
| | - N. J. Sebire
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child HealthGreat Ormond Street Hospital for ChildrenLondonUK
- Department of HistopathologyGreat Ormond Street Hospital for ChildrenLondonUK
- NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research CentreLondonUK
| | - O. J. Arthurs
- Department of Clinical RadiologyGreat Ormond Street Hospital for ChildrenLondonUK
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child HealthGreat Ormond Street Hospital for ChildrenLondonUK
- NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research CentreLondonUK
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Whitby E, Offiah AC, Shelmerdine SC, van Rijn RR, Aertsen M, Klein WM, Perry D, Goergen SK, Abel C, Taranath A, Gascho D, Miller E, Arthurs OJ. Current state of perinatal postmortem magnetic resonance imaging: European Society of Paediatric Radiology questionnaire-based survey and recommendations. Pediatr Radiol 2021; 51:792-799. [PMID: 33367939 PMCID: PMC8055569 DOI: 10.1007/s00247-020-04905-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Postmortem magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in perinatal and childhood deaths is increasingly used as a noninvasive adjunct or alternative to autopsy. Imaging protocols vary between centres and consensus guidelines do not exist. OBJECTIVE Our aim was to develop practical, standardised recommendations for perinatal postmortem MRI. MATERIALS AND METHODS Recommendations were based on the results of two surveys regarding local postmortem MRI practices sent electronically to all 14 members of the European Society of Paediatric Radiology (ESPR) Postmortem Imaging Task Force and 17 members of the International Society of Forensic Radiology and Imaging Task Force (25 different centres). RESULTS Overall, 11/14 (78.6%) respondents from different institutions perform postmortem MRI. All of these centres perform postmortem MRI for perinatal and neonatal deaths, but only 6/11 (54.5%) perform imaging in older children. CONCLUSION We propose a clinical standard for postmortem MRI sequences plus optional sequences for neuroimaging and cardiac anatomy depending on available scanning time and referral indications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elspeth Whitby
- University of Sheffield and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust, Jessop Wing, Tree Root Walk, Sheffield, S10 1SF, UK.
| | - Amaka C. Offiah
- Academic Unit of Child Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK ,Department of Radiology, Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Susan C. Shelmerdine
- Department of Clinical Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK ,UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Rick R. van Rijn
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Michael Aertsen
- Department of Radiology, University Hospitals KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Willemijn M. Klein
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine and Anatomy, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - David Perry
- Radiology Department, National Women’s Health and Starship Children’s Hospital, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Stacy K. Goergen
- Monash Imaging, Clayton, Victoria Australia ,School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria Australia
| | - Christian Abel
- Department of Medical Imaging, John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, New South Wales Australia
| | - Ajay Taranath
- Department of Medical Imaging, Women’s and Children’s Hospital, North Adelaide, South Australia Australia ,University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia Australia
| | - Dominic Gascho
- Zurich Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Elka Miller
- Department of Medical Imaging, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Owen J. Arthurs
- Department of Clinical Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK ,UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
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30
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Shany E, Marks K, Levitas A, Golan A, Abramsky R, Taragin BH, Shelef I. Clinical Application of Postmortem Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Neonates. Neonatology 2021; 118:54-63. [PMID: 33550296 DOI: 10.1159/000512923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent reports advocate the use of MRI either as a substitute for postmortem examinations or for a more targeted autopsy. METHODS A full-body postmortem MRI (pMRI) of infants was performed as early as possible after death, and findings were compared to clinical premortem diagnoses. RESULTS Thirty-one infants were scanned during the study period. Median gestation at birth was 34 weeks (ranges: 24-43). In 3 (10%) cases, no new findings were detected. In 2 (6%), new minor findings not related to the cause of death were detected, and in 17 (55%), new minor findings related to the cause of death were detected. New major findings related to the cause of death were detected in 4 (13%) cases, and new major findings not related to the cause of death were detected in 5 (16%) cases. In 3 (10%), findings thought to alter the perceived cause of death were detected. Overall, in 23 (74%) cases, pMRI findings reinforced the clinical premortem diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS pMRI is a culturally accepted alternative when autopsy is not performed and can either reinforce, refute, or add to premortem clinical diagnoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eilon Shany
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel, .,Neonatal Department, Soroka Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel,
| | - Kyla Marks
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.,Neonatal Department, Soroka Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Aviva Levitas
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.,Pediatric Cardiology Unit, Soroka Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Agneta Golan
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.,Neonatal Department, Soroka Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Ramy Abramsky
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.,Neonatal Department, Soroka Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Benjamin H Taragin
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.,Radiology Department, Soroka Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Ilan Shelef
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.,Radiology Department, Soroka Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel
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31
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Barbone GE, Bravin A, Mittone A, Grosu S, Ricke J, Cavaletti G, Djonov V, Coan P. High-Spatial-Resolution Three-dimensional Imaging of Human Spinal Cord and Column Anatomy with Postmortem X-ray Phase-Contrast Micro-CT. Radiology 2021; 298:135-146. [DOI: 10.1148/radiol.2020201622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Lewis C, Hutchinson JC, Riddington M, Hill M, Arthurs OJ, Fisher J, Wade A, Doré CJ, Chitty LS, Sebire NJ. Minimally invasive autopsy for fetuses and children based on a combination of post-mortem MRI and endoscopic examination: a feasibility study. Health Technol Assess 2020; 23:1-104. [PMID: 31461397 DOI: 10.3310/hta23460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Less invasive perinatal and paediatric autopsy methods, such as imaging alongside targeted endoscopy and organ biopsy, may address declining consent rates for traditional autopsy, but their acceptability and accuracy are not known. OBJECTIVES The aims of this study were to provide empirical data on the acceptability and likely uptake for different types of autopsy among key stakeholders (study 1); and to analyse existing autopsy data sources to provide estimates of the potential efficacy of less invasive autopsy (LIA) and its projected utility in clinical practice (study 2). REVIEW METHODS Study 1: this was a mixed-methods study. Parents were involved in research design and interpretation of findings. Substudy 1: a cross-sectional survey of 859 parents who had experienced miscarriage, termination of pregnancy for fetal anomaly, stillbirth, infant or child death, and interviews with 20 responders. Substudy 2: interviews with 25 health professionals and four coroners. Substudy 3: interviews with 16 religious leaders and eight focus groups, with 76 members of the Muslim and Jewish community. Study 2: a retrospective analysis of national data in addition to detailed information from an existing in-house autopsy database of > 5000 clinical cases that had undergone standard autopsy to determine the proportion of cases by clinical indication group for which tissue sampling of specific internal organs significantly contributed to the diagnosis. RESULTS Substudy 1: 91% of participants indicated that they would consent to some form of LIA, 54% would consent to standard autopsy, 74% to minimally invasive autopsy (MIA) and 77% to non-invasive autopsy (NIA). Substudy 2: participants viewed LIA as a positive development, but had concerns around the limitations of the technology and de-skilling the workforce. Cost implications, skills and training requirements were identified as implementation challenges. Substudy 3: religious leaders agreed that NIA was religiously permissible, but MIA was considered less acceptable. Community members indicated that they might consent to NIA if the body could be returned for burial within 24 hours. Study 2: in 5-10% of cases of sudden unexplained death in childhood and sudden unexplained death in infants, the final cause of death is determined by routine histological sampling of macroscopically normal organs, predominantly the heart and lungs, and in this group routine histological sampling therefore remains an important aspect of investigation. In contrast, routine histological examination of macroscopically normal organs rarely (< 0.5%) provides the cause of death in fetal cases, making LIA and NIA approaches potentially highly applicable. LIMITATIONS A key limitation of the empirical research is that it is hypothetical. Further research is required to determine actual uptake. Furthermore, because of the retrospective nature of the autopsy data set, findings regarding the likely contribution of organ sampling to final diagnosis are based on extrapolation of findings from historical autopsies, and prospective data collection is required to validate the conclusions. CONCLUSIONS LIA is viable and acceptable (except for unexplained deaths), and likely to increase uptake. Further health economic, performance and implementation studies are required to determine the optimal service configuration required to offer this as routine clinical care. FUNDING The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celine Lewis
- North East Thames Regional Genetics Service, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.,Genetics and Genomic Medicine, University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - John C Hutchinson
- Department of Histopathology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust and Institute of Child Health/University College London, London, UK
| | - Megan Riddington
- Department of Psychological Services, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Melissa Hill
- North East Thames Regional Genetics Service, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.,Genetics and Genomic Medicine, University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Owen J Arthurs
- Department of Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | | | - Angie Wade
- Institute of Child Health; Population, Policy and Practice, University College London, London, UK
| | - Caroline J Doré
- Comprehensive Clinical Trials Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | - Lyn S Chitty
- North East Thames Regional Genetics Service, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.,Genetics and Genomic Medicine, University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Neil J Sebire
- Department of Histopathology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust and Institute of Child Health/University College London, London, UK
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Kang X, Carlin A, Cannie MM, Sanchez TC, Jani JC. Fetal postmortem imaging: an overview of current techniques and future perspectives. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2020; 223:493-515. [PMID: 32376319 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2020.04.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Fetal death because of miscarriage, unexpected intrauterine fetal demise, or termination of pregnancy is a traumatic event for any family. Despite advances in prenatal imaging and genetic diagnosis, conventional autopsy remains the gold standard because it can provide additional information not available during fetal life in up to 40% of cases and this by itself may change the recurrence risk and hence future counseling for parents. However, conventional autopsy is negatively affected by procedures involving long reporting times because the fetal brain is prone to the effect of autolysis, which may result in suboptimal examinations, particularly of the central nervous system. More importantly, fewer than 50%-60% of parents consent to invasive autopsy, mainly owing to the concerns about body disfigurement. Consequently, this has led to the development of noninvasive perinatal virtual autopsy using imaging techniques. Because a significant component of conventional autopsy involves the anatomic examination of organs, imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, and computed tomography are possible alternatives. With a parental acceptance rate of nearly 100%, imaging techniques as part of postmortem examination have become widely used in recent years in some countries. Postmortem magnetic resonance imaging using 1.5-Tesla magnets is the most studied technique and offers an overall diagnostic accuracy of 77%-94%. It is probably the best choice as a virtual autopsy technique for fetuses >20 weeks' gestation. However, for fetuses <20 weeks' gestation, its performance is poor. The use of higher magnetic resonance imaging magnetic fields such as 3-Tesla may slightly improve performance. Of note, in cases of fetal maceration, magnetic resonance imaging may offer diagnoses in a proportion of brain lesions wherein conventional autopsy fails. Postmortem ultrasound examination using a high-frequency probe offers overall sensitivity and specificity of 67%-77% and 74%-90%, respectively, with the advantage of easy access and affordability. The main difference between postmortem ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging relates to their respective abilities to obtain images of sufficient quality for a confident diagnosis. The nondiagnostic rate using postmortem ultrasound ranges from 17% to 30%, depending on the organ examined, whereas the nondiagnostic rate using postmortem magnetic resonance imaging in most situations is far less than 10%. For fetuses ≤20 weeks' gestation, microfocus computed tomography achieves close to 100% agreement with autopsy and is likely to be the technique of the future in this subgroup. The lack of histology has always been listed as 1 limitation of all postmortem imaging techniques. Image-guided needle tissue biopsy coupled with any postmortem imaging can overcome this limitation. In addition to describing the diagnostic accuracy and limitations of each imaging technology, we propose a novel, stepwise diagnostic approach and describe the possible application of these techniques in clinical practice as an alternative or an adjunct or for triage to select cases that would specifically benefit from invasive examination, with the aim of reducing parental distress and pathologist workload. The widespread use of postmortem fetal imaging is inevitable, meaning that hurdles such as specialized training and dedicated financing must be overcome to improve access to these newer, well-validated techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Kang
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Brugmann, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Andrew Carlin
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Brugmann, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mieke M Cannie
- Radiology, University Hospital Brugmann, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium; Department of Radiology, UZ Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Teresa Cos Sanchez
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Brugmann, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jacques C Jani
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Brugmann, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
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Barbone GE, Bravin A, Mittone A, Kraiger MJ, Hrabě de Angelis M, Bossi M, Ballarini E, Rodriguez-Menendez V, Ceresa C, Cavaletti G, Coan P. Establishing sample-preparation protocols for X-ray phase-contrast CT of rodent spinal cords: Aldehyde fixations and osmium impregnation. J Neurosci Methods 2020; 339:108744. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.108744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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35
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Shelmerdine SC, Hutchinson JC, Ward L, Sekar T, Ashworth MT, Levine S, Sebire NJ, Arthurs OJ. Feasibility of INTACT (INcisionless TArgeted Core Tissue) biopsy procedure for perinatal autopsy. ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY 2020; 55:667-675. [PMID: 31271478 PMCID: PMC7317589 DOI: 10.1002/uog.20387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To determine the feasibility and tissue yield of a perinatal incisionless ultrasound-guided biopsy procedure, the INcisionless Targeted Core Tissue (INTACT) technique, in the context of minimally invasive autopsy. METHODS Cases of perinatal death in which the parents consented for minimally invasive autopsy underwent postmortem magnetic resonance imaging and an INTACT biopsy procedure, defined as needle biopsy of organs via the umbilical cord, performed under ultrasound guidance. In each case, three cores of tissue were obtained from seven target organs (both lungs, both kidneys, heart, spleen and liver). Biopsy success was predefined as an adequate volume of the intended target organ for pathological analysis, as judged by a pathologist blinded to the case and biopsy procedure. RESULTS Thirty fetuses underwent organ sampling. Mean gestational age was 30 weeks (range, 18-40 weeks) and mean delivery-to-biopsy interval was 12 days (range, 6-22 days). The overall biopsy success rate was 153/201 (76.1%) samples, with the success rates in individual organs being highest for the heart and lungs (93% and 91%, respectively) and lowest for the spleen (11%). Excluding splenic samples, the biopsy success rate was 150/173 (86.7%). Histological abnormalities were found in 4/201 (2%) samples, all of which occurred in the lungs and kidneys of a fetus with pulmonary hypoplasia and multicystic kidney disease. CONCLUSIONS Incisionless ultrasound-guided organ biopsy using the INTACT procedure is feasible, with an overall biopsy success rate of over 75%. This novel technique offers the ideal combination of an imaging-led autopsy with organ sampling for parents who decline the conventional invasive approach. © 2019 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. C. Shelmerdine
- Department of Clinical RadiologyGreat Ormond Street Hospital for ChildrenLondonUK
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child HealthGreat Ormond Street Hospital for ChildrenLondonUK
| | - J. C. Hutchinson
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child HealthGreat Ormond Street Hospital for ChildrenLondonUK
- Department of HistopathologyGreat Ormond Street Hospital for ChildrenLondonUK
| | - L. Ward
- Department of HistopathologyGreat Ormond Street Hospital for ChildrenLondonUK
| | - T. Sekar
- Department of HistopathologyGreat Ormond Street Hospital for ChildrenLondonUK
| | - M. T. Ashworth
- Department of HistopathologyGreat Ormond Street Hospital for ChildrenLondonUK
| | - S. Levine
- Department of HistopathologyGreat Ormond Street Hospital for ChildrenLondonUK
| | - N. J. Sebire
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child HealthGreat Ormond Street Hospital for ChildrenLondonUK
- Department of HistopathologyGreat Ormond Street Hospital for ChildrenLondonUK
| | - O. J. Arthurs
- Department of Clinical RadiologyGreat Ormond Street Hospital for ChildrenLondonUK
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child HealthGreat Ormond Street Hospital for ChildrenLondonUK
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Kang X, Sanchez TC, Arthurs OJ, Bevilacqua E, Cannie MM, Segers V, Lecomte S, Sebire NJ, Jani JC. Postmortem fetal imaging: prospective blinded comparison of two-dimensional ultrasound with magnetic resonance imaging. ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY 2019; 54:791-799. [PMID: 30644623 DOI: 10.1002/uog.20217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2018] [Revised: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To compare the diagnostic rate and accuracy of 3-Tesla (T) postmortem magnetic resonance imaging (PM-MRI) and postmortem ultrasound (PM-US) in an unselected fetal population. METHODS We performed prospectively, in a blinded manner, 3-T PM-MRI and PM-US on 160 unselected fetuses at 13-41 weeks of gestation. All imaging was reported according to a prespecified template, for five anatomical regions: brain, thorax, heart, abdomen and spine. The rates of non-diagnostic results for PM-US and PM-MRI were compared and, for results that were diagnostic, we calculated sensitivity, specificity and concordance rates for each anatomical region, using conventional autopsy as the reference standard. RESULTS 3-T PM-MRI performed significantly better than did PM-US overall and in particular for fetuses ≥ 20 weeks' gestation. Specifically, the non-diagnostic rates for PM-MRI vs PM-US were 4.4% vs 26.9% (7/160 vs 43/160; P < 0.001) for the brain, 5.2% vs 17.4% (8/155 vs 27/155; P < 0.001) for the thorax, 3.8% vs 30.6% (6/157 vs 48/157; P < 0.001) for the heart and 3.2% vs 23.6% (5/157 vs 37/157; P < 0.001) for the abdomen. For the spine, both techniques showed an equally low non-diagnostic rate. When both postmortem imaging techniques were diagnostic, they had similar accuracy, with no difference in sensitivity or specificity, and similar concordance with autopsy (PM-US, 79.5-96.5%; PM-MRI, 81.6-99.1%). CONCLUSIONS PM-MRI performed significantly better than PM-US in this unselected population, due mainly to a lower non-diagnostic rate. PM-MRI should remain the first-line imaging investigation for perinatal autopsy, but PM-US could be considered if MRI is not available, albeit with a higher non-diagnostic rate. Copyright © 2019 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- X Kang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Brugmann, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - T Cos Sanchez
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Brugmann, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - O J Arthurs
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - E Bevilacqua
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Brugmann, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - M M Cannie
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital Brugmann, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Radiology, UZ Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - V Segers
- Department of Feto-Pathology, University Hospital Brugmann, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - S Lecomte
- Department of Feto-Pathology, University Hospital Brugmann, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - N J Sebire
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - J C Jani
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Brugmann, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
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Struksnæs C, Blaas HGK, Vogt C. Autopsy Findings of Central Nervous System Anomalies in Intact Fetuses Following Termination of Pregnancy After Prenatal Ultrasound Diagnosis. Pediatr Dev Pathol 2019; 22:546-557. [PMID: 31256740 DOI: 10.1177/1093526619860385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Central nervous system (CNS) anomalies are the second most frequent category of congenital anomalies after congenital heart defects (CHDs). In this study, the aim was to investigate the distribution of different CNS anomalies with associated anomalies and karyotype in a fetal autopsy population of terminated pregnancies over a 30-year period and to correlate the ultrasonographic diagnoses of CNS anomalies with autopsy findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study includes 420 intact fetuses with CNS anomalies terminated at gestational ages 11+ 0 to 33+ 6 over a 30-year period from 1985 to 2014. An ultrasound (US) examination was performed at the National Centre for Fetal Medicine, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim. The autopsies were performed at the Department of Pathology at the same hospital or a collaborating hospital. The anomalies were subcategorized according to the classification by the World Health Organization. RESULTS Neural tube defects such as anencephaly (22.4%, 107/477) and spina bifida (22.2%, 106/477) constituted the most common CNS anomalies, followed by congenital hydrocephalus (17.8%, 85/477). In total, the karyotype was abnormal in 21.0% of all termination of pregnancies (TOPs), with trisomy 18 as the most frequent abnormal karyotype. CHDs, skeletal anomalies, and urinary anomalies were the most common associated organ anomalies. Throughout the study period, there was full agreement between US and postmortem findings of CNS anomalies in 96.9% (407/420) of TOPs. CONCLUSION In this study of autopsy findings of CNS anomalies in intact fetuses terminated after prenatal US diagnosis, neural tube defects were most common. About half of the fetuses had isolated serious CNS anomalies, while the other half were CNS anomalies associated with structural and/or chromosomal anomalies. The prenatal US diagnoses were in good concordance with autopsy findings. In particular, due to challenges of diagnoses made early in pregnancy, it is necessary to continue the validation practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Struksnæs
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Harm-Gerd Karl Blaas
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.,National Center for Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Christina Vogt
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Pathology, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
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Hutchinson JC, Shelmerdine SC, Lewis C, Parmenter J, Simcock IC, Ward L, Ashworth MT, Chitty LS, Arthurs OJ, Sebire NJ. Minimally invasive perinatal and pediatric autopsy with laparoscopically assisted tissue sampling: feasibility and experience of the MinImAL procedure. ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY 2019; 54:661-669. [PMID: 30620444 DOI: 10.1002/uog.20211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/31/2018] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Less invasive autopsy techniques in cases of fetal or infant death have good acceptability among parents, but the published sampling adequacy in needle biopsy studies is generally poor. Minimally Invasive Autopsy with Laparoscopically assisted sampling (MinImAL) has the potential to increase the diagnostic yield of less invasive autopsy by improving the quality and quantity of tissue samples obtained, whilst permitting visualization, extraction and examination of internal organs through a small incision. The aim of this study was to present the findings of our experience with the MinImAL procedure in cases of fetal, neonatal and pediatric death. METHODS This was a retrospective analysis of 103 prospectively recruited unselected cases of fetal, neonatal or pediatric death that underwent the MinImAL procedure at a tertiary referral center over a 5-year period. Following preprocedure 1.5-T whole-body postmortem magnetic resonance imaging, MinImAL autopsy was performed. Procedure duration, sampling adequacy and cause of death were assessed. Chi-square analysis was used to compare the 'unexplained' rate of intrauterine deaths in the cohort with that in a previously published cohort of > 1000 cases of intrauterine death examined by standard autopsy. RESULTS MinImAL autopsy was performed successfully in 97.8% (91/93) of the cases undergoing a complete procedure. There was a satisfactory rate of adequate histological sampling in most major organs; heart (100%, 91 cases), lung (100%, 91 cases), kidney (100%, 91 cases), liver (96.7%, 88 cases), spleen (94.5%, 86 cases), adrenal glands (89.0%, 81 cases), pancreas (82.4%, 75 cases) and thymus (56.0%, 51 cases). Procedure duration was similar to that of standard autopsy in a previously published cohort of intrauterine deaths. The unexplained rate in stillbirths and intrauterine fetal deaths that underwent MinImAL autopsy was not significantly different from that following standard autopsy. CONCLUSIONS The MinImAL procedure provides good histological yield from major organs with minimal cosmetic damage and can be learned by an autopsy practitioner. The MinImAL procedure is an appropriate minimally invasive alternative for the investigation of perinatal and pediatric deaths in which consent to full autopsy is withheld, and may have applications in both high- and low/middle-income settings. Copyright © 2019 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- J C Hutchinson
- Department of Histopathology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - S C Shelmerdine
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
- Department of Paediatric Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - C Lewis
- North East Thames Regional Genetics Service, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - J Parmenter
- Department of Histopathology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK
| | - I C Simcock
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
- Department of Paediatric Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - L Ward
- Department of Histopathology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK
| | - M T Ashworth
- Department of Histopathology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK
| | - L S Chitty
- North East Thames Regional Genetics Service, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - O J Arthurs
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
- Department of Paediatric Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - N J Sebire
- Department of Histopathology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
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Shelmerdine SC, Sebire NJ, Arthurs OJ. Perinatal post-mortem ultrasound (PMUS): radiological-pathological correlation. Insights Imaging 2019; 10:81. [PMID: 31432284 PMCID: PMC6702254 DOI: 10.1186/s13244-019-0762-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
There has been an increasing demand and interest in post-mortem imaging techniques, either as an adjunct or replacement for the conventional invasive autopsy. Post-mortem ultrasound (PMUS) is easily accessible and more affordable than other cross-sectional imaging modalities and allows visualisation of normal anatomical structures of the brain, thorax and abdomen in perinatal cases. The lack of aeration of post-mortem foetal lungs provides a good sonographic window for assessment of the heart and normal pulmonary lobulation, in contrast to live neonates.In a previous article within this journal, we published a practical approach to conducting a comprehensive PMUS examination. This covered the basic principles behind why post-mortem imaging is performed, helpful techniques for obtaining optimal PMUS images, and the expected normal post-mortem changes seen in perinatal deaths. In this article, we build upon this by focusing on commonly encountered pathologies on PMUS and compare these to autopsy and other post-mortem imaging modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan C Shelmerdine
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, WC1N 3JH, UK.
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK.
| | - Neil J Sebire
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, WC1N 3JH, UK
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Owen J Arthurs
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, WC1N 3JH, UK
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
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40
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Goergen SK, Alibrahim E, Govender N, Stanislavsky A, Abel C, Prystupa S, Collett J, Shelmerdine SC, Arthurs OJ. Diagnostic assessment of foetal brain malformations with intra-uterine MRI versus perinatal post-mortem MRI. Neuroradiology 2019; 61:921-934. [PMID: 31076826 PMCID: PMC6620257 DOI: 10.1007/s00234-019-02218-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate differences in diagnostic yield of intra-uterine foetal (iuMR) and post-mortem MRI (PMMR) for complex brain malformations, using autopsy as the reference standard. METHODS In this retrospective, multicentre study spanning 2 years, we reviewed 13 terminated singleton pregnancies with a prenatal ultrasound finding of complex foetal cerebral abnormalities, referred for both iuMR and PMMR. The iuMR and PMMR studies of the brain were reported independently by two groups of radiologists, blinded to each other's reports. Descriptive statistics were used to compare differences in intracranial abnormalities with autopsy (and genetic testing, where present) as reference standard. RESULTS The median gestational age at termination was 24.6 weeks (IQR 22-29) with median time between delivery and PMMR of 133 h (IQR 101-165). There was full concordance between iuMR and PMMR findings and autopsy in 2/13 (15.3%) cases. Partial concordance between both imaging modalities was present in 6/13 (46.2%) and total discordance in the remainder (5/13, 38.5%). When compared to autopsy, PMMR missed important key findings specifically for neuronal migration and cerebellar anomalies, whereas iuMR appeared to overcall CSF space abnormalities which were less crucial to reaching the final overall diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS iuMR should be performed to improve foetal phenotyping where there is a prenatal ultrasound for complex foetal brain abnormalities. Reliance on PMMR alone is likely to result in misdiagnosis in a majority of cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacy K Goergen
- Monash Imaging, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ekaterina Alibrahim
- Department of Medical Imaging, Royal Women's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nishentha Govender
- Department of Medical Imaging, Royal Women's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Christian Abel
- Department of Medical Imaging, John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Monash Health, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Stacey Prystupa
- Department of Medical Imaging, John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Monash Health, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jacquelene Collett
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Susan C Shelmerdine
- Department of Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, WC1N 3JH, UK.
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK.
| | - Owen J Arthurs
- Department of Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, WC1N 3JH, UK
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
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Kang X, Resta S, Cos Sanchez T, Carlin A, Bevilacqua E, Jani JC. Impact of the delay between fetal death and delivery on the success of postmortem ultrasound following termination of pregnancy. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2019; 34:1613-1618. [PMID: 31291806 DOI: 10.1080/14767058.2019.1642868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of the delay between fetal death and delivery on the nondiagnostic rates of post-mortem ultrasound (PM-US), following the termination of pregnancy (TOP). METHODS We reviewed 204 cases of fetal two-dimensional PM-US performed in our center as part of a post-mortem imaging research program, over the last 5 years. Informed consent was obtained from the parents for all cases. PM-US was performed and reported according to a prespecified template with operators blinded to the prenatal diagnosis. In order to calculate the precise delay between the fetal death and the delivery, we included 107 fetal TOP's ≥ 20 weeks of gestational age (GA), where feticide was performed using an injection of lidocaine 2% prior to induction of labor. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to analyze the impact of delay between fetal death and delivery (in hours), the GA at TOP (in weeks) and the method of feticide (intracardiac versus intraumbilical injection) on the PMUS nondiagnostic rates. RESULTS The delay between fetal death and delivery increased the nondiagnostic rate of PM-US for cerebral examinations (OR: 1.04, IC 95%: 1.01-1.08, p < .05). For PM-US cardiac examination, the delay did not influence the nondiagnostic rate. However, GA (OR: 1.25, IC 95%: 1.10-1.46, p < .01) and feticide with intracardiac injection (OR: 4.29, IC 95%: 1.68-12.02, p < .01) were associated with higher nondiagnostic rates. For noncardiac thoracic and abdominal examinations, none of the studied variables influenced the nondiagnostic rate. CONCLUSION The success rate of cerebral PM-US was influenced by the delay between fetal death and delivery, suggesting a possible advantage of performing the feticide closer to the delivery where the examination of the brain is planned. For cardiac abnormalities, feticide by intraumbilical, rather than intracardiac injection improves diagnostic rates of cardiac PM-US.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Kang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Brugmann, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Serena Resta
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Brugmann, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Teresa Cos Sanchez
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Brugmann, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Andrew Carlin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Brugmann, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Elisa Bevilacqua
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Brugmann, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jacques C Jani
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Brugmann, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
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Lombardi S, Scola E, Ippolito D, Zambelli V, Botta G, Cuttin S, Triulzi F, Lombardi CM. Micro-computed tomography: a new diagnostic tool in postmortem assessment of brain anatomy in small fetuses. Neuroradiology 2019; 61:737-746. [PMID: 30693410 DOI: 10.1007/s00234-019-02168-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The aim of our study was to evaluate the postmortem micro-CT anatomy of early fetal human fetal brains, either in situ or isolated. METHODS We studied 12 ex vivo specimens, 9 whole human fetuses (9-18 GW), and 3 isolated samples (16-26 GW). Specimens were fixed in formalin, then immersed in Lugol solution. Images were evaluated by two neuroradiologists. The depiction of CNS structures was defined based on the comparison between micro-CT images and a reference histologic anatomical Atlas of human brain development. RESULTS Micro-CT provided informative high-resolution brain images in all cases, with the exception of one case (9 weeks) due to advanced maceration. All major CNS structures (i.e., brain hemispheres, layering, ventricles, germinal neuroepithelium, basal ganglia, corpus callosum, major cranial nerves, and structures of the head and neck) were recognizable. CONCLUSIONS Micro-CT imaging of the early fetal brain is feasible and provides high-quality images that correlate with the histological Atlas of the human brain, offering multiplanar and volumetric images that can be stored and shared for clinical, teaching, and research purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Lombardi
- Department of Neuroradiology, Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy.
| | - Elisa Scola
- Neuroradiology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Vanessa Zambelli
- Department of Health Sciences, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Giovanni Botta
- Azienda Ospedaliera Città della Salute e delle Scienze di Torino, Presidio Ospedaliero OIRM-Sant'Anna, Turin, Italy
| | - Serena Cuttin
- Department of Pathology, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy
| | - Fabio Triulzi
- Neuroradiology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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Staicu A, Albu C, Popa-Stanila R, Chiriac L, Boitor-Borza D, Bondor C, Kovacs T, Caracostea G, Rotar IC, Turcu RVF, Simon S, Muresan D, Stamatian F. Potential clinical benefits and limitations of fetal virtopsy using high-field MRI at 7 Tesla versus stereomicroscopic autopsy to assess first trimester fetuses. Prenat Diagn 2019; 39:505-518. [PMID: 30980413 DOI: 10.1002/pd.5457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2018] [Revised: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to establish the diagnostic accuracy of high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 7 Tesla (T) compared with that of stereomicroscopic autopsy for assessing first trimester fetuses. METHODS Nine consecutive cases of first trimester fetuses resulting from spontaneous and therapeutic pregnancy termination were considered. The cases were divided into two groups according to gestational age: the Embryo Group with cases of nine to 10 gestational weeks (GWs) and the Fetus Group with cases of 13 GWs. The first group was scanned using three-dimensional fast imaging with steady state precession (3D FISP), and the second group was scanned using a two-dimensional (2D) turbo spin-echo high-resolution T2-weighted imaging (T2 WI) protocol. A radiologist and two embryologists interpreted the images. All cases were evaluated by invasive autopsy, with pathologist blinded to the imaging results. In total, the database included 270 items for evaluation (9 cases × 30 structures/case). RESULTS The global agreement between fetal high-field virtopsy and microscopic or stereomicroscopic autopsy was evaluated using 225 evaluation items visible by both methods. Overall, using microscopic examination and stereomicroscopic autopsy as the gold standard, fetal high-field virtopsy had a sensitivity of 94.6% [95% CI, 87.2-98.3] and a specificity of 97.6% [95% CI, 95-98.8]. The positive predictive value (PPV) was 93% [95% CI, 85.7-96.6], and the negative predictive value (NPV) was 98.2% [95% CI, 95.7-99.4]. Cohen kappa coefficient of agreement was k = 0.92 [95% CI, 0.82-0.97], and the McNemar test showed p = 1.00. CONCLUSIONS Virtual autopsy using high-field MRI at 7 T can be considered a safe alternative approach to stereomicroscopic autopsy for the assessment of fetal structural anomalies at the end of the first trimester of pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adelina Staicu
- 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, "Iuliu Haţieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Camelia Albu
- Department of Pathology, "Iuliu Haţieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,Centre of Advanced Research Studies, Emergency County Hospital, IMOGEN, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Roxana Popa-Stanila
- Centre of Advanced Research Studies, Emergency County Hospital, IMOGEN, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,Department of Radiology, "Iuliu Haţieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Liviu Chiriac
- Department of Medical Biophysics, "Iuliu Haţieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,National Magnetic Resonance Centre, Babeș Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Dan Boitor-Borza
- Department of Human Anatomy and Embryology, "Iuliu Haţieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Cosmina Bondor
- Department of Medical Informatics and Biostatistics, "Iuliu Haţieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Tunde Kovacs
- 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, "Iuliu Haţieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,Centre of Advanced Research Studies, Emergency County Hospital, IMOGEN, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Gabriela Caracostea
- 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, "Iuliu Haţieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ioana Cristina Rotar
- 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, "Iuliu Haţieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - R V Flaviu Turcu
- National Magnetic Resonance Centre, Babeș Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,Faculty of Physic, Babeș Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Simion Simon
- National Magnetic Resonance Centre, Babeș Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,Faculty of Physic, Babeș Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Daniel Muresan
- 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, "Iuliu Haţieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Florin Stamatian
- Centre of Advanced Research Studies, Emergency County Hospital, IMOGEN, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Shelmerdine SC, Chung KL, Hutchinson JC, Elliott C, Sebire NJ, Arthurs OJ. Feasibility of Postmortem Imaging Assessment of Brain: Liver Volume Ratios with Pathological Validation. Fetal Diagn Ther 2019; 46:360-367. [PMID: 30970374 PMCID: PMC6979430 DOI: 10.1159/000497158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Introduction Organ volumes at postmortem magnetic resonance imaging (PMMR) should reflect autopsy organ weights, and thus brain: liver volume ratios on imaging could be a surrogate for weight volume ratios at autopsy to indicate fetal growth restriction (FGR). This study aims to determine whether imaging-based organ volume ratios can replace autopsy organ weight ratios. Materials and Methods An unselected cohort of perinatal deaths underwent PMMR prior to autopsy. Semiautomated brain and liver volumes were compared to autopsy organ weights and ratios. Ratios were compared using Bland-Altman plots, and intra- and interobserver variability was assessed. Results A total 49 fetuses (25 male, 51%) at 17–42 weeks gestation were assessed. There was a reasonable correlation between autopsy-derived brain: liver weight ratios (AB: LwR) and imaging-derived brain: liver volume ratios (IB: LvR; r = 0.8). The mean difference between AB: LwR and IB: LvR was +0.7 (95% limits of agreement range −1.5 to +2.9). In a small subset where FGR was present, the optimal IB: LvR ≥5.5 gave 83.3% sensitivity and 86.0% specificity for diagnosis. There was acceptable agreement within readers (mean difference in IB: LvRs 0.77 ± 2.21) and between readers −0.36 ± 0.68. Conclusion IB: LvR provides a surrogate evaluation of AB: LwRs, and may be used as a marker of FGR where autopsy is declined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan C Shelmerdine
- Department of Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom,
| | - Kimberly L Chung
- Department of Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - John C Hutchinson
- Department of Histopathology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.,Developmental Biology and Cancer Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom
| | - Claire Elliott
- Department of Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Neil J Sebire
- Department of Histopathology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.,Developmental Biology and Cancer Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom
| | - Owen J Arthurs
- Department of Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.,Imaging and Biophysics, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom
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45
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Verity C, Winstone AM, Will R, Powell A, Baxter P, de Sousa C, Gissen P, Kurian M, Livingston J, McFarland R, Pal S, Pike M, Robinson R, Wassmer E, Zuberi S. Surveillance for variant CJD: should more children with neurodegenerative diseases have autopsies? Arch Dis Child 2019; 104:360-365. [PMID: 30337492 PMCID: PMC6530073 DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2018-315458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To report investigations performed in children with progressive neurodegenerative diseases reported to this UK study. DESIGN Since 1997 paediatric surveillance for variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) has been performed by identifying children aged less than 16 years with progressive intellectual and neurological deterioration (PIND) and searching for vCJD among them. SETTING The PIND Study obtains case details from paediatricians who notify via the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit. PARTICIPANTS Between May 1997 and October 2017, a total of 2050 cases meeting PIND criteria had been notified and investigated. RESULTS Six children had vCJD. 1819 children had other diagnoses, made in 12 cases by antemortem brain biopsy and in 15 by postmortem investigations. 225 children were undiagnosed: only 3 had antemortem brain biopsies and only 14 of the 108 who died were known to have had autopsies; postmortem neuropathological studies were carried out in just 10% (11/108) and only two had prion protein staining of brain tissue. Of the undiagnosed cases 43% were known to come from Asian British families. CONCLUSIONS Most of the notified children had a diagnosis other than vCJD to explain their neurological deterioration. None of the undiagnosed cases had the clinical phenotype of vCJD but brain tissue was rarely studied to exclude vCJD. Clinical surveillance via the PIND Study remains the only practical means of searching for vCJD in UK children.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Robert Will
- The National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Research and Surveillance Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Alison Powell
- PIND Research Group, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, UK
| | - Peter Baxter
- Paediatric Neurology Department, Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK
| | - Carlos de Sousa
- Neurology Department, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Paul Gissen
- Neurology Department, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Manju Kurian
- Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK
| | - John Livingston
- Paediatric Neurology Department, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds, UK
| | - Robert McFarland
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial Research, Institute of Neuroscience, The Medical School, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Suvankar Pal
- The National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Research and Surveillance Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Michael Pike
- Paediatric Neurology Department, Oxford Children’s Hospital, John Radcliffe Hospital site, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Evangeline Wassmer
- Paediatric Neurology Department, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Birmingham, UK
| | - Sameer Zuberi
- Paediatric Neurosciences Research Group, Royal Hospital for Children and School of Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
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46
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Li J, Li Q, Dai X, Li J, Zhang X. Does pre-scanning training improve the image quality of children receiving magnetic resonance imaging?: A meta-analysis of current studies. Medicine (Baltimore) 2019; 98:e14323. [PMID: 30702613 PMCID: PMC6380694 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000014323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is often used in children for its clear display of body parts. But it is usually hard to acquire high-quality images, for the uncooperative ability of children. It is believed that pre-MRI training could ensure the high quality of images. The current meta-analysis was done to analyze the current evidences in this field. METHODS PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were systematically searched up to July 2018, for studies assessing the effects of training on pediatric MRI. Data, including image quality, failed scanning rate, and sedation use, were extracted and analyzed using Revman 5.2 software. RESULTS There were 5 studies with 379 subjects in the meta-analysis. Training and control groups were quite comparable when accepted image quality was reviewed (P = .30), but a lower rate of excellent image quality was found in subjects with training (P = .02). The pooling results found no significance between training and control group in sedation use (P = .09) and successful MRI scanning (P = .63). CONCLUSIONS It is cautious to conclude that pre-MRI training does not improve the image quality and reduce sedation use among children, for the limited number of studies and sample size. More trials should be encouraged to demonstrate this issue.
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47
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Kang X, Shelmerdine SC, Hurtado I, Bevilacqua E, Hutchinson C, Mandalia U, Segers V, Cos Sanchez T, Cannie MM, Carlin A, Sebire NJ, Arthurs OJ, Jani JC. Postmortem examination of human fetuses: comparison of two-dimensional ultrasound with invasive autopsy. ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY 2019; 53:229-238. [PMID: 28782198 DOI: 10.1002/uog.18828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2017] [Revised: 06/09/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the diagnostic accuracy of postmortem ultrasound performed by operators blinded to prenatal findings and to invasive autopsy results in fetuses at different gestational ages and to investigate the effect of various parameters on its diagnostic success. METHODS We performed postmortem two-dimensional ultrasound examination, blinded to clinical details, on 163 fetuses at 13-42 weeks' gestation. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the effect of: (i) gestational age at postmortem ultrasound, (ii) presence of maceration and (iii) mode of death, on whether the exam succeeded or failed to reach a diagnosis. In 123 cases in which invasive autopsy was available, the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound in detecting major organ abnormalities was evaluated, using invasive autopsy as the gold standard. RESULTS For the fetal brain, postmortem ultrasound exam was non-diagnostic in significantly more fetuses with maceration (39.5%; 17/43) vs those without maceration (20.0%; 24/120) (P = 0.013). For the fetal thorax, the exam was non-diagnostic in 34.1% (15/44) of fetuses < 20 weeks of gestation and in 10.9% (13/119) of fetuses ≥ 20 weeks (P < 0.001). For the heart and abdominal organs, there was no association between non-diagnostic postmortem ultrasound and the variables tested. For fetuses < 20 weeks, specificity of postmortem ultrasound examination was 83.3% for detection of anomalies of the brain, 68.6% for the thorax and 77.4% for the heart. For fetuses ≥ 20 weeks, sensitivity and specificity were, respectively, 61.9% and 74.2% for detection of anomalies of the brain, 29.5% and 87.0% for the thorax and 65.0% and 83.1% for the heart. For the fetal abdominal organs, sensitivity was 60.7% and specificity 75.8%, and postmortem ultrasound was particularly useful for detection of abnormalities of the kidneys, irrespective of gestational age. CONCLUSION Although maceration may lead to failure of postmortem ultrasound examination in some cases, this technique achieves diagnostically acceptable levels of accuracy for fetal brain and abdominal organs, compared with conventional autopsy. It may therefore play a role as a first-line examination before other virtual autopsy techniques are indicated. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- X Kang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Brugmann, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - S C Shelmerdine
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - I Hurtado
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Brugmann, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - E Bevilacqua
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Brugmann, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - C Hutchinson
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - U Mandalia
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - V Segers
- Department of Feto-Pathology, University Hospital Brugmann, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - T Cos Sanchez
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Brugmann, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - M M Cannie
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital Brugmann, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Radiology, UZ Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - A Carlin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Brugmann, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - N J Sebire
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - O J Arthurs
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - J C Jani
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Brugmann, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
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48
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Cassidy A, Herrick C, Norton ME, Ursell PC, Vargas J, Kerns JL. How does Fetal Autopsy after Pregnancy Loss or Termination for Anomalies and other Complications Change Recurrence Risk? AJP Rep 2019; 9:e30-e35. [PMID: 30783547 PMCID: PMC6379179 DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-1681013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Historically, fetal autopsy was common after terminations for anomalies. Previous studies report that fetal autopsy confirms ultrasound findings in the majority of cases. This study aims to examine correlation between prenatal and autopsy diagnoses at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and evaluate whether autopsy adds diagnostic information, specifically information that changes risk of recurrence for future pregnancies. Study Design We conducted a retrospective chart review of all fetal autopsies performed at UCSF between 1994 and 2009. Prenatal diagnosis was compared with autopsy diagnosis; for cases where there was a change in diagnosis, an MFM (maternal-fetal medicine specialist) reviewed the case to assign risk of recurrence before and after autopsy. Results Overall, there was concordance between prenatal diagnosis and autopsy diagnosis in greater than 91.7% of cases. Autopsy added information that resulted in a change in recurrence risk in 2.3% of cases ( n = 9). Conclusion For the vast majority of cases, there is agreement between prenatal and autopsy diagnosis after pregnancy loss or termination for fetal anomalies. Only a small percentage of autopsies change recurrence risk. This may be useful when counseling women about method of termination and when counseling couples about whether to have an autopsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Cassidy
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Claire Herrick
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Mary E Norton
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Philip C Ursell
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Juan Vargas
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Jennifer L Kerns
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California
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49
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Intrauterine fetal MR versus postmortem MR imaging after therapeutic termination of pregnancy: evaluation of the concordance in the detection of brain abnormalities at early gestational stage. Eur Radiol 2018; 29:2740-2750. [PMID: 30542750 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-018-5878-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Revised: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Fetal postmortem MR Imaging (pmMRI) has been recently used as an adjuvant tool to conventional brain autopsy after termination of pregnancy (TOP). Our purpose was to compare the diagnostic performance of intrauterine MRI (iuMRI) and pmMRI in the detection of brain anomalies in fetuses at early gestational age (GA). MATERIAL AND METHODS We retrospectively collected 53 fetuses who had undergone iuMRI and pmMRI for suspected brain anomalies. Two pediatric neuroradiologists reviewed iuMRI and pmMRI examinations separately and then together. We used Cohen's K to assess the agreement between pmMRI and iuMRI. Using the combined evaluation iuMRI+pMRI as the reference standard, we calculated the "correctness ratio." We used Somers' D to assess the cograduation between postmortem image quality and time elapsed after fetus expulsion. RESULTS Our data showed high agreement between iuMRI and pmMRI considering all the categories together, for both observers (K1 0.84; K2 0.86). The correctness ratio of iuMRI and pmMRI was 79% and 45% respectively. The major disagreements between iuMRI and pmMRI were related to postmortem changes as the collapse of liquoral structures and distorting phenomena. We also found a significant cograduation between the time elapsed from expulsion and pmMRI contrast resolution and distortive phenomena (both p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates an overall high concordance between iuMRI and pmMRI in detecting fetal brain abnormalities at early GA. Nevertheless, for the correct interpretation of pmMRI, the revision of fetal examination seems to be crucial, in particular when time elapsed from expulsion is longer than 24 h. KEY POINTS • IuMRI and pmMRI showed overall high concordance in detecting fetal brain abnormalities at early GA. • PmMRI corroborated the antemortem diagnosis and it could be a valid alternative to conventional brain autopsy, only when the latter cannot be performed. • Some caution should be taken in interpreting pmMR images when performed after 24 h from fetal death.
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50
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Lorio S, Tierney TM, McDowell A, Arthurs OJ, Lutti A, Weiskopf N, Carmichael DW. Flexible proton density (PD) mapping using multi-contrast variable flip angle (VFA) data. Neuroimage 2018; 186:464-475. [PMID: 30465865 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.11.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Revised: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Quantitative proton density (PD) maps measure the amount of free water, which is important for non-invasive tissue characterization in pathology and across lifespan. PD mapping requires the estimation and subsequent removal of factors influencing the signal intensity other than PD. These factors include the T1, T2* relaxation effects, transmit field inhomogeneities, receiver coil sensitivity profile (RP) and the spatially invariant factor that is required to scale the data. While the transmit field can be reliably measured, the RP estimation is usually based on image post-processing techniques due to limitations of its measurement at magnetic fields higher than 1.5 T. The post-processing methods are based on unified bias-field/tissue segmentation, fitting the sensitivity profile from images obtained with different coils, or on the linear relationship between T1 and PD. The scaling factor is derived from the signal within a specific tissue compartment or reference object. However, these approaches for calculating the RP and scaling factor have limitations particularly in severe pathology or over a wide age range, restricting their application. We propose a new approach for PD mapping based on a multi-contrast variable flip angle acquisition protocol and a data-driven estimation method for the RP correction and map scaling. By combining all the multi-contrast data acquired at different echo times, we are able to fully correct the MRI signal for T2* relaxation effects and to decrease the variance and the entropy of PD values within tissue class of the final map. The RP is determined from the corrected data applying a non-parametric bias estimation, and the scaling factor is based on the median intensity of an external calibration object. Finally, we compare the signal intensity and homogeneity of the multi-contrast PD map with the well-established effective PD (PD*) mapping, for which the RP is based on concurrent bias field estimation and tissue classification, and the scaling factor is estimated from the mean white matter signal. The multi-contrast PD values homogeneity and accuracy within the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and deep brain structures are increased beyond that obtained using PD* maps. We demonstrate that the multi-contrast RP approach is insensitive to anatomical or a priori tissue information by applying it in a patient with extensive brain abnormalities and for whole body PD mapping in post-mortem foetal imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Lorio
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Tim M Tierney
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Amy McDowell
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Owen J Arthurs
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK; Department of Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK
| | - Antoine Lutti
- Laboratory for Research in Neuroimaging, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nikolaus Weiskopf
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - David W Carmichael
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK; EPSRC / Wellcome Centre for Medical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, King's College, London, UK
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