Intrauterine blood transfusion causes dose- and time-dependent signal alterations in the liver and the spleen on fetal magnetic resonance imaging.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Intrauterine transfusions (IUTs) are a life-saving treatment for fetal anemia. However, with each transfusion, iron bypasses uptake regulation through the placenta and accumulates in fetal organs. Unlike other imaging modalities, fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is capable of non-invasively assessing fetal liver disease and/or organ iron overload. This study aimed to investigate the effects of IUTs on MRI findings in the fetal liver and spleen.

Study design

For this retrospective study, we included eight fetuses undergoing IUT and prenatal MRI from 2014 to 2023. The fetuses were gestational age-matched with a cohort that received fetal MRI for other indications, but no IUTs. Signal intensity (SI) and volumetric analyses of the liver and the spleen were perfo

SUBMITTER: Schwarz M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11836162 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature