Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of fetal blood oxygen level-dependent magnetic resonance (MR) imaging at 1.5 T and to compare DeltaR2* in the brains of fetal sheep during hypoxia at 3.0 T with that at 1.5 T.
Materials and methods: All experimental protocols were reviewed and approved by the local authorities on animal protection. Between January 2006 and May 2006, fetal brain measurements were performed in eight pregnant ewes with 1.5-T and 3.0-T MR imaging units after fetal paralysis was achieved by administering pancuronium bromide. With both imaging units, a T2*-weighted single-shot gradient-echo echo-planar imaging sequence (echo time, 30 msec at 3.0 T and 50 msec at 1.5 T) was used to measure T2* signal changes (DeltaR2*) in the fetal brain in control conditions and during hypoxia (maternal oxygenation, 50%-70%). A carotid catheter was placed and maintained in the fetuses to enable measurement of the fetal arterial oxygen saturation (SaO(2)). DeltaR2* was correlated with fetal SaO(2), and linear regression analysis was performed. A paired t test was used to evaluate differences, with a significance level of P < .05.
Results: At both field strengths, a signal intensity decrease on T2*-weighted images during hypoxia was detected. At 1.5 T, mean fetal SaO(2) was reduced from 65.4% +/- 9.2 (standard deviation) during control conditions to 17.7% +/- 6.2 during hypoxia. DeltaR2* and fetal SaO(2) correlated significantly (r = 0.98, P = .018). At 3.0 T, fetal SaO(2) was reduced from 62.4% +/- 7.5 during control conditions to 18% +/- 7.5 during hypoxia. DeltaR2* and fetal SaO(2) also correlated significantly (r = 0.95, P = .012). A linear fit resulted in a slope value of 0.084 +/- 0.003 for 1.5 T and 0.166 +/- 0.016 for 3.0 T. This means a doubled sensitivity of DeltaR2* for oxygen saturation variations at 3.0 T compared with 1.5 T.
Conclusion: MR imaging at 3.0 T is more sensitive than that at 1.5 T in the detection of DeltaR2* in the fetal brain during hypoxia. However, there was a signal decrease in the fetal brain in all 1.5-T experiments during hypoxia. Thus it is possible to measure fetal DeltaR2* at 1.5 T, which may be of more practical relevance for the evaluation of pregnant women.