Ultrafast MRI in the prenatal diagnosis of Bourneville's tuberous sclerosis

The purpose of this report is to highlight the utility of prenatal MRI as an adjunctive imaging modality in the diagnosis and prognosis of Tuberous Sclerosis (TS) (Bourneville′s disease). We report a case of TS detected in utero at 30 weeks gestation. A routine ultrasonography at 26 weeks in a 28-year-old primigravida was followed by an ultrafast MRI examination at 30 weeks gestation. Ultrasound raised the possibility of TS based on the detection of multiple cardiac rhabdomyomas. Fetal MRI, subsequently performed, showed the presence of cortical tubers and subependymal nodules establishing the diagnosis. Fetal MRI in the appropriate clinical setting can be potentially invaluable and can have important prognostic implications.

Keywords
antenatal diagnosis; fetus; tuberous sclerosis; ultrafast MRI; ultrasound.