Ex vivo Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Human Fetal Brain.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The fetal brain undergoes a dynamic process of development during gestation, marked by well-orchestrated events such as neuronal proliferation, migration, axonal outgrowth, and dendritic arborization, mainly elucidated through histological studies. Ex vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has emerged as a useful tool for 3D visualization of the developing fetal brain, serving as a complementary tool to traditional histology.

Summary

In this review, we summarized the commonly employed ex vivo MRI techniques and their advances in fetal brain imaging, and proposed a standard protocol for postmortem fetal brain specimen collection and fixation. We then provided an overview of ex vivo MRI-based studies on the fetal brain.

Key messages

According to our review, ex

SUBMITTER: Zhang J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12500268 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature