Magnetic resonance imaging of the developing fetal brain structures

The fetal brain development is characterized by rapid structural, functional, and metabolic changes. Fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), with its superior contrast resolution and signal to noise ratio, is a useful complementary modality in the workup of ultrasound to enhance the diagnosis of fetal development and detection of brain abnormalities. The increased use of MRI in utero has provided an opportunity to improve the understanding of human development. This, combined with the implementation of newer sequences, has given insight into functional changes of the brain at early stages of development. Understanding the normal MRI appearance of the fetal brain at different gestational ages and the changes that occur during normal development are essential for early identification and optimized management of neurodevelopment and pathological processes. This chapter provides a review of some of the structural changes detected using conventional MRI during normal fetal brain development after 20 weeks gestation.