Magnetic resonance imaging for the evaluation of acute abdominal pain in pregnancy.

The investigation of acute abdominal pain in pregnancy is challenging. The use of ultrasound may be limited due to the patient's change in body habitus and computed tomography is not desirable due to fetal irradiation. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has thus become increasingly popular in the evaluation of such patients, due to its lack of ionizing radiation, multiplanar capability and high contrast resolution. This review will detail the MRI technique required to image the pregnant abdomen and describe the MRI features of common causes of acute abdominal pain in pregnancy.