In utero MR imaging and management of foetal hydrocephalus and NTDs in the third trimester.

Although ultrasound (US) remains the gold standard in foetal imaging, in utero magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the foetal nervous system may be useful in the late stages of pregnancy. The authors performed MR scanning in pregnant women in whose foetuses US examination had shown hydrocephalus and neural tube defects (NTDs). These cases are definitely diagnosed as hopeless at such a late stage. In this report, three pregnant patients are presented to illustrate the morphological imaging features, and their outcome is discussed. This report is an example of how radiological investigations can be most valuable, when US and MR imaging are used as complementary in imaging of the foetuses.