MR imaging of acquired fetal brain disorders.

INTRODUCTION: Acquired fetal brain disorders represent the third indication of fetal brain MRI, after ventricular dilatation and malformations of the central nervous system. DISCUSSION: MRI is an adequate imaging technique for evaluating fetal brain damage. Fetal brain response to brain injury may be acute, chronic or a combination of acute and chronic. An acute response is not as common in the fetal brain as in the postnatal period. A chronic response or the combination of chronic and acute response are the most common responses of the fetal brain to injury, whatever its origin. MRI also provides the natural history of acquired fetal brain lesions with regard to the stage of development.