Abstract
Background
Tracheal atresia causes some secondary changes (dilated trachea, flattened/inverted diaphragm, hyperintense and hyperinflated lungs). They can be reduced if a high airway fistula is present.
Objective
This study evaluated fetal MR images of tracheal atresia and the secondary changes, focusing on the presence of a fistula.
Materials and methods
We assessed fetal MR images of tracheal atresia without fistula (n=4, median 26 weeks), tracheal atresia with fistula (n=4, median 33 weeks) and controls (n=30, median 32 weeks). We evaluated airway obstruction using true-positive rate in tracheal atresia and false-positive rate in controls indicating they are likely normal variants. Tracheal diameter, craniocaudal-anteroposterior ratio of the right hemidiaphragm, lung-to-liver signal intensity ratio, and cardiothoracic ratio were compared among the three groups using the Kruskal-Wallis test followed by pairwise comparison using the Mann-Whitney U test.
Results
True-positive rate was 100% in tracheal atresia, while false-positive rate was 20% in controls. The Kruskal-Wallis test showed differences among groups in craniocaudal-anteroposterior ratio and cardiothoracic ratio (P<0.001) but not in tracheal diameter (P=0.256) or lung-to-liver signal intensity ratio (P=0.082). The pairwise comparison in craniocaudal-anteroposterior ratio and cardiothoracic ratio showed differences between controls and tracheal atresia without fistula (P<0.01) and with fistula (P<0.05).
Conclusion
Fetal MRI is useful for the diagnosis of tracheal atresia, and detection of airway obstruction is essential. Lower craniocaudal-anteroposterior ratio and cardiothoracic ratio might be reliable measures even if a fistula is present.
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Acknowledgments
This article was supported by a grant from the National Center for Child Health and Development, Japan, 2019-19. We thank Hiroshi Nagamatsu, principal technologist; Rumi Imai, Chiharu Hiramatsu, Tomoyuki Maruyama, Keisuke Asano and Taizo Somemori, MRI technologists of the National Center for Child Health and Development; and Haruka Asano, a designer.
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Aoki, H., Miyazaki, O., Irahara, S. et al. Value of parametric indexes to identify tracheal atresia with or without fistula on fetal magnetic resonance imaging. Pediatr Radiol 51, 2027–2037 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-021-05092-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-021-05092-x