Prenatal Imaging of Fetal Lung Lesions: Magnetic Resonance Imaging Complements Ultrasound

Prenatal ultrasound has been used for 30 to 40 years in the evaluation of the fetus. In the 1980s, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), given its high soft tissue detail, was introduced as an alternative method for fetal evaluation. Initially, MRI of pregnancy was limited to assessing maternal complications, as the fetal detail was poor because of motion on long acquisition times. However, in the 1990s, with the advent of short imaging sequences, fetal MRI rapidly established itself as a technique of diagnostic value. In this article, the authors present a case review of a fetus with a lung lesion, demonstrating the value of this modality.