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Child's Nervous System
Published in: Child's Nervous System 7-8/2003

01-08-2003 | Original Paper

Fetal brain infections

Authors: A. James Barkovich, Nadine Girard

Published in: Child's Nervous System | Issue 7-8/2003

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Abstract

Introduction

Congenital infections can cause severe brain damage. As a result, it is very important to identify them early in their course so that treatment can be administered to the mother, if possible. The role of imaging is to determine the presence, if any, and the extent of brain damage in the infected fetus. Although MRI is most commonly used as an adjunct to sonography, when clinical suspicion is high in the setting of a normal ultrasound or to better define abnormalities detected by ultrasound, MRI is routinely used in toxoplasmosis seroconversion to definitively rule out brain lesions, even when the ultrasound scan is considered normal. MRI is also used serially throughout the pregnancy to check for the development of brain abnormalities; medical treatment results in excellent clinical outcome if the brain is normal.

Discussion

This article describes the indications, techniques, and findings that will allow proper use of fetal MRI in the setting of congenital infections.
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Metadata
Title
Fetal brain infections
Authors
A. James Barkovich
Nadine Girard
Publication date
01-08-2003
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
Child's Nervous System / Issue 7-8/2003
Print ISSN: 0256-7040
Electronic ISSN: 1433-0350
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-003-0763-8

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