White matter changes in intrauterine fetal brain with mild to moderate isolated ventriculomegaly based on diffusion magnetic resonance imaging.

Motivation: There is a controversial argue about the prognosis of fetuses with isolated ventriculomegaly in clinical practice. Goal(s): Application of diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging (dMRI) in fetuses with isolated ventriculomegaly to explore structure changes of white matter fibers. Approach: Collecting brain dMRI data in isolated ventriculomegaly and healthy fetuses, analyzing differences in white matter structure between the two groups using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and fixel based analysis (FBA) methods. Results: Significant differences were found in DTI or FBA parameters of white matter fibers including the inferior longitudinal fasciculus, corpus callosum, fornix, sagittal stratum and corticospinal tract between the two groups. Impact: There are changes in the brain white matter structure in intrauterine fetuses with isolated ventriculomegaly, which provides a certain objective basis for potential risks of neurodevelopmental disorders and prenatal counseling.