Assessment of the Normal Gastrointestinal Tract of Fetal MRI Using
3D-Gradient Echo Sequence : A Preliminary Study

Hiroaki Sato, Tsutomu Inaoka, Koji Takahashi, Tomonori Yamada
Kenichi Nagasawa, Hatsune Hiranuma, Toshihiro Yamaki, Hiroyuki Sugimori1)
Yoshihito Sasaki2), Eiki Nakamura3�H, Tamio Aburano
Department of Radiology, Section of Radiology1),
Obsterics and Gynecology2)
Center for Maternity and Infant Care3),
Asahikawa Medical College

Abstract
　Fetal magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of normal gastrointestinal (GI) tract was evaluated using fat-suppressed T1-weighted images (FS-T1WI) with volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination sequence (VIBE), which is a kind of fast low-angle shot (FLASH) contained in 3D-GRE.
　VIBE provides many imaging slices in a shorter time, higher spacial resolution, and better T1 contrast than conventional 3D sequences. In addition, it allows us to make high quality three-dimensional images.
Compared to 2D-GRE in previous reports, 3D-GRE (VIBE) more consistently visualizes GI tract by high signal meconium. We believe that 3D-GRE is useful in depicting the fetal GI tract.

Keywords：Fetal MRI, Gastrointestinal tract, T1-weighted imaging, 3D-gradient echo sequence, MR colonography