The value of diffusion MRI in assessing structural changes of white matter fibers in fetal brain with mild to moderate isolated ventriculomegaly
10.3760/cma.j.cn112149-20231025-00321
- VernacularTitle:扩散MRI评价轻中度孤立性侧脑室扩张胎儿脑白质纤维结构改变的价值
- Author:
Chao ZHANG
1
;
Ruike CHEN
;
Cong SUN
;
Xianyun CAI
;
Xin CHEN
;
Dan WU
;
Guangbin WANG
Author Information
1. 山东大学 山东省立医院影像科，济南 250021
- Keywords:
Fetus;
Magnetic resonance imaging;
Ventriculomegaly;
Diffusion tensor imaging;
White matter
- From:
Chinese Journal of Radiology
2024;58(8):843-849
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To investigate the changes in the white matter fiber structure of fetal brain with mild to moderate isolated ventriculomegaly (IVM) using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) model and fixed based analysis (FBA) method of diffusion MRI (dMRI).Methods:This was a case-control study. Twenty fetuses diagnosed with mild to moderate IVM who were admitted to the Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University from August 2022 to August 2023 were included prospectively as the IVM group, with gestational age ranging from 24 to 36 (29.9±3.6) weeks. The control group included 22 normal control fetuses obtained from the dMRI atlas data of Chinese fetal brain, with gestational age ranging from 24 to 36 (30.2±3.7) weeks. The dMRI data were collected for all fetuses and the DTI model was used to obtain fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity of 7 main fiber bundles, including the genu and splenium of the corpus callosum, middle cerebellar peduncle, bilateral cortico-spinal tract, inferior longitudinal fasciculus, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, and anterior thalamic radiation. The FBA method was used to obtain fiber density (FD), fiber cross-sectional area (FC), and fiber density and cross-section (FDC) of the whole brain. The comparison of DTI parameters of each fiber bundle between the two groups was conducted using independent sample t test or Mann-Whitney U test. The comparison of FBA parameters between the two groups was performed using covariance analysis, and the MRtrix3 software package was used to display the brain regions with significant differences. Results:The FA values of the inferior longitudinal fasciculus in the IVM group and the control group were 0.142±0.012 and 0.133±0.015, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=2.21, P=0.033), while the DTI parameters of the other fiber bundles showed no statistically significant differences ( P>0.05). The whole brain FBA results showed that compared with the control group,FD decreased while FC increased in the corpus callosum, fornix, and sagittal stratum in IVM fetuses, while FDC decreased in the cortico-spinal tract. Conclusion:There are microstructural changes of the brain white matter fiber in intrauterine fetuses with mild to moderate IVM, which are mainly located in the white matter fiber bundles surrounding the body, atrium, and temporal horn of the lateral ventricle.
