Measurements using 7.0 T post-mortem magnetic resonance imaging of the scalar dimensions of the fetal brain between 12 and 20 weeks gestational age

In this study, scalar values for the fetal brain from 12 to 20 weeks gestational age were obtained. Fifty-two fetal specimens of 12–20 weeks gestational age with an anatomically normal and developmentally appropriate central nervous system (CNS) were scanned using a 7.0 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. The linear biometric measurements of the brain were then determined. All the measurements (except for the interhemispheric distance) were found to increase linearly with gestational age, although each increased at a different growth rates. The 95% confidence interval for each value was obtained. These data may be considered to be a valuable reference for the assessment of normal fetal brain development in clinical settings and as a supplement to post-mortem MRI or anatomical investigations.

► Normal linear biometric brain values between 12 and 20 weeks gestational age were obtained by 7.0 T post-mortem MRI. ► The relationship between the linear measurements and the gestational age was analysed. ► The 95% confidence intervals of the linear measurements were obtained.