Clinical Application of Postmortem Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Neonates
- 5 February 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by S. Karger AG in Neonatology
- Vol. 118 (1), 54-63
- https://doi.org/10.1159/000512923
Abstract
Background: Recent reports advocate the use of MRI either as a substitute for postmortem examinations or for a more targeted autopsy. Methods: A full-body postmortem MRI (pMRI) of infants was performed as early as possible after death, and findings were compared to clinical premortem diagnoses. Results: Thirty-one infants were scanned during the study period. Median gestation at birth was 34 weeks (ranges: 24–43). In 3 (10%) cases, no new findings were detected. In 2 (6%), new minor findings not related to the cause of death were detected, and in 17 (55%), new minor findings related to the cause of death were detected. New major findings related to the cause of death were detected in 4 (13%) cases, and new major findings not related to the cause of death were detected in 5 (16%) cases. In 3 (10%), findings thought to alter the perceived cause of death were detected. Overall, in 23 (74%) cases, pMRI findings reinforced the clinical premortem diagnoses. Conclusions: pMRI is a culturally accepted alternative when autopsy is not performed and can either reinforce, refute, or add to premortem clinical diagnoses.Keywords
This publication has 10 references indexed in Scilit:
- Dutch guideline for clinical foetal-neonatal and paediatric post-mortem radiology, including a review of literatureEuropean Journal of Pediatrics, 2018
- Acceptability of post-mortem imaging among Muslim and non-Muslim communitiesThe British Journal of Radiology, 2018
- The role of post-mortem MRI in the neonatal intensive care unitJournal of Perinatology, 2016
- Computerized Tomography Scanning and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Will Terminate the Era of the Autopsy - A HypothesisJournal of Cancer, 2016
- Quantification of ante-mortem hypoxic ischemic brain injury by post-mortem cerebral magnetic resonance imaging in neonatal encephalopathyEuropean Journal of Paediatric Neurology, 2015
- Diagnostic accuracy and limitations of post-mortem MRI for neurological abnormalities in fetuses and childrenClinical Radiology, 2015
- Post-mortem MRI versus conventional autopsy in fetuses and children: a prospective validation studyThe Lancet, 2013
- DWI of the brain: Postmortal DWI of the brain in comparison with in vivo dataForensic Science International, 2012
- Cerebral Magnetic Resonance Biomarkers in Neonatal Encephalopathy: A Meta-analysisPEDIATRICS, 2010
- Postmortem brain MRI with selective tissue biopsy as an adjunct to autopsy following neonatal encephalopathyEuropean Journal of Paediatric Neurology, 2007