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Avena-Zampieri CL, Hutter J, Rutherford M, Milan A, Hall M, Egloff A, Lloyd DFA, Nanda S, Greenough A, Story L. Assessment of the fetal lungs in utero. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM 2022; 4:100693. [PMID: 35858660 PMCID: PMC9811184 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajogmf.2022.100693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Antenatal diagnosis of abnormal pulmonary development has improved significantly over recent years because of progress in imaging techniques. Two-dimensional ultrasound is the mainstay of investigation of pulmonary pathology during pregnancy, providing good prognostication in conditions such as congenital diaphragmatic hernia; however, it is less validated in other high-risk groups such as those with congenital pulmonary airway malformation or preterm premature rupture of membranes. Three-dimensional assessment of lung volume and size is now possible using ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging; however, the use of these techniques is still limited because of unpredictable fetal motion, and such tools have also been inadequately validated in high-risk populations other than those with congenital diaphragmatic hernia. The advent of advanced, functional magnetic resonance imaging techniques such as diffusion and T2* imaging, and the development of postprocessing pipelines that facilitate motion correction, have enabled not only more accurate evaluation of pulmonary size, but also assessment of tissue microstructure and perfusion. In the future, fetal magnetic resonance imaging may have an increasing role in the prognostication of pulmonary abnormalities and in monitoring current and future antenatal therapies to enhance lung development. This review aims to examine the current imaging methods available for assessment of antenatal lung development and to outline possible future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla L Avena-Zampieri
- Department of Women and Children's Health, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Centre for the Developing Brain, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jana Hutter
- Centre for the Developing Brain, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mary Rutherford
- Centre for the Developing Brain, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Milan
- Neonatal Unit, Guy's and St Thomas' National Health Service Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Megan Hall
- Department of Women and Children's Health, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Centre for the Developing Brain, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alexia Egloff
- Centre for the Developing Brain, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - David F A Lloyd
- Centre for the Developing Brain, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Surabhi Nanda
- Fetal Medicine Unit, Guy's and St Thomas' National Health Service Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anne Greenough
- Department of Women and Children's Health, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Neonatal Unit, King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom; Asthma UK Centre in Allergic Mechanisms of Asthma, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; National Institute for Health and Care Research Biomedical Research Centre, Guy's & St Thomas National Health Service Foundation Trust and King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lisa Story
- Department of Women and Children's Health, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Centre for the Developing Brain, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Fetal Medicine Unit, Guy's and St Thomas' National Health Service Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.
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