The Multivane Sequence—A New Cardiac Tool in Fetal MRI

Objectives: The determination of vessel position on fetal echocardiogram can be a difficult task. Fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has emerged to be a helpful investigation in the diagnosis of fetal pathology and subsequently cardiac disease. The aim of this study was to compare cardiac findings on fetal echocardiogram to fetal MRI using the MultiVane sequence.

Methods: We performed a retrospective search of our fetal MRI database of the last 100 days. Fetal MR investigations are performed routinely after the diagnosis of a major fetal pathology in our institution. Fetal MRI was performed in 120 pregnant women. The MultiVane sequences are based on a k-space sampling strategy, which works in a rotating fashion using radially directed “blades.” Consequently the sequence is more robust to gross motion, such as fetal cardiac and/or vessel motion.

Result: Twenty of 120 (17%) fetuses had a cardiac disease: right aortic arch (n = 3), pulmonary stenosis (n = 1), left atrial isomerism (n = 3), right ventricular dilatation (n = 1), atrioventricular septal defect (n = 2), congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (n = 1), the tetralogy of Fallot (n = 2), transposition of the great artery (n = 1), pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect (n = 1), truncus arteriosus (n = 1), aberrant right subclavian artery (n = 1), coarctation (n = 1), borderline left ventricle (n = 1), and ventricular septal defect (n = 1). Vessel position could be determined in all 20 cases.

Conclusion: The MultiVane sequence in fetal MRI can identify position of cardiac vessels. This can be of help in cases complicated by difficult scanning windows due to late gestation, maternal obesity, or oligohydramnios.