Physiological assessment of the fetal body using MRI: current uses and potential directions.

MRI assessment of the fetus useing fast weighted sequences is well established in defining alterations in fetal anatomy and structure, as a biomarker for disease and in some cases prognostication. To date, the physiological assessment of the fetus using advanced sequences to characterise tissue perfusion and microarchitecture has largely been unused. Current methods of assessing fetal organ function are invasive and carry inherent risk. Therefore the identification of imaging biomarkers of altered physiology in fetal disease, and their correlation with postnatal outcome, is therefore attractive. This review describes the techniques which show promise for such a task, and potential future directions.