Abstract：Objective To study the normal development of the fetal lumbosacral enlargement(LSE)at different gestational ages with postmortem MRI.Methods Postmortem MRI was performed on 52 fetuses ranging from 15 to 40 gestational weeks. T2-weighted MRI of the lumbar spine was performed in the coronal, sagittal and axial plane. The anteroposterior diameter, the area of LSE, the area of vertebral canal and the ratio of LSE to the overall size of the vertebral canal were measured. The relationship between the measurement results and gestational weeks were analyzed by linear regression.Results Fifty-two cases of fetal specimen were observed on T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Forty-five spinal cords (86.54%) could be showed clearly and 7 spinal cords (13.46%) couldn′t be showed clearly, the spinal cord and LSE signal could be showed on MRI T2WI at 15 gestational weeks. The LSE appeared double circle signs on T2WI before 27 gestational weeks. The double circle signs of LSE couldn′t be showed clearly after 33 gestational weeks. Anteroposterior diameter, transverse diameter and the area of the LSE increased linearly with gestational age (all P values<0.01). The ratio of LSE to the overall size of the vertebral canal increased with gestational age (all P values<0.01).Conclusions The normal growth and signal-intensity characteristics of the LSE can be well described by postmortem MR imaging.
苗明明,林祥涛,李丹,肖连祥,崔志洁,赵慧,张忠和,曹金凤,王光彬,刘树伟. 15~40周胎儿标本脊髓腰骶膨大发育的磁共振研究[J]. 中华解剖与临床杂志, 2014, 19(3): 204-207.
Miao Mingming, Lin Xiangtao, Li Dan, Xiao Lianxiang, Cui Zhijie, Zhao Hui, Zhang Zhonghe, Cao Jinfeng, Wang Guangbin, Liu Shuwei. Postmortem MRI of normal fetal lumbosacral enlargement. Chinese Journal of Anatomy and Clinics, 2014, 19(3): 204-207.
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