Combined Diffusion-relaxometry MRI to Identify Dysfunction in the Human Placenta

Overview

Journal Magn Reson Med

Publisher Wiley

Specialty Radiology

Date 2019 Mar 19

PMID 30883915

Citations 36

Authors

Paddy J Slator

Jana Hutter

Marco Palombo

Laurence H Jackson

Alison Ho

Eleftheria Panagiotaki

Lucy C Chappell

Mary A Rutherford

Joseph V Hajnal

Daniel C Alexander

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: A combined diffusion-relaxometry MR acquisition and analysis pipeline for in vivo human placenta, which allows for exploration of coupling between and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements in a sub 10-minute scan time.

Methods: We present a novel acquisition combining a diffusion prepared spin echo with subsequent gradient echoes. The placentas of 17 pregnant women were scanned in vivo, including both healthy controls and participants with various pregnancy complications. We estimate the joint -ADC spectra using an inverse Laplace transform.

Results: -ADC spectra demonstrate clear quantitative separation between normal and dysfunctional placentas.

Conclusions: Combined -diffusivity MRI is promising for assessing fetal and maternal health during pregnancy. The -ADC spectrum potentially provides additional information on tissue microstructure, compared to measuring these two contrasts separately. The presented method is immediately applicable to the study of other organs.

Citing Articles

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The effects of maternal flow on placental diffusion-weighted MRI and intravoxel incoherent motion parameters.

Hutchinson G, Blakey A, Jones N, Leach L, Dellschaft N, Houston P Magn Reson Med. 2024; 93(4):1629-1641.

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A flexible generative algorithm for growing in silico placentas.

de Oliveira D, Cheikh Sleiman H, Payette K, Hutter J, Story L, Hajnal J PLoS Comput Biol. 2024; 20(10):e1012470.

PMID: 39374295 PMC: 11486434. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012470.

Placental multimodal MRI prior to spontaneous preterm birth <32 weeks' gestation: An observational study.

Hall M, Suff N, Slator P, Rutherford M, Shennan A, Hutter J BJOG. 2024; 131(13):1782-1792.

PMID: 38956748 PMC: 11801328. DOI: 10.1111/1471-0528.17901.

Advanced magnetic resonance imaging detects altered placental development in pregnancies affected by congenital heart disease.

Cromb D, Slator P, Hall M, Price A, Alexander D, Counsell S Sci Rep. 2024; 14(1):12357.

PMID: 38811636 PMC: 11136986. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63087-8.

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