Correlation between morphological MRI findings and specific diagnostic categories in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders

Eur J Med Genet. 2017 Jan;60(1):65-71. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmg.2016.09.003. Epub 2016 Sep 9.

Abstract

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) include physical and neurodevelopmental abnormalities related to prenatal alcohol exposure. Some neuroimaging findings have been clearly related to FASD, including corpus callosum and cerebellar anomalies. However, detailed studies correlating with specific FASD categories, that is, the fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), partial FAS (pFAS) and alcohol related neurodevelopmental disorders (ARND), are lacking. We prospectively performed clinical assessment and brain MR imaging to 72 patients with suspected FASD, and diagnosis was confirmed in 62. The most frequent findings were hypoplasia of the corpus callosum and/or of the cerebellar vermis. Additional findings were vascular anomalies, gliosis, prominent perivascular spaces, occipito-cervical junction and cervical vertebral anomalies, pituitary hypoplasia, arachnoid cysts, and cavum septum pellucidum.

Keywords: Brain; Cavum septum pellucidum; Cerebellum; Corpus callosum; Craniocervical; MR.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Alcohol Drinking / adverse effects
  • Cerebellum / diagnostic imaging
  • Cerebellum / drug effects
  • Cerebellum / physiopathology
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Corpus Callosum / diagnostic imaging*
  • Corpus Callosum / drug effects
  • Corpus Callosum / physiopathology
  • Female
  • Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders / diagnostic imaging*
  • Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders / physiopathology
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging*
  • Male
  • Pregnancy
  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / chemically induced
  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / diagnostic imaging*
  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / physiopathology