OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study is to determine whether MRI parameters of placenta accreta spectrum correlate with pathologic and surgical outcomes in high-risk pregnancies. MATERIALS AND METHODS. This retrospective study evaluated second- and third-trimester pregnancies assessed by MRI from 2007 to the present. Women were included in the study if placental invasion was suspected on the basis of a clinical history of cesarean delivery, ultrasound findings, or both. MR images were reviewed by an experienced radiologist who was blinded to the clinical outcomes. Eighteen MRI parameters were assessed and compared with four clinical outcomes: surgical impression of invasion, need for cesarean hysterectomy, pathologic findings, and need for blood transfusion. RESULTS. Of 64 women, 43 required cesarean hysterectomy, 20 underwent cesarean delivery, and one delivered vaginally. There was no statistical difference among the women in terms of maternal age, gestational age, or the number of prior cesarean deliveries. Eight of the 18 MRI parameters assessed showed statistical significance. The five variables with the highest odds ratios were bulge (7.432), placenta previa (7.283), low-attenuation T2 linear bands (5.985), placental heterogeneity near the scar (4.384), and fibrin deposition (4.322), with additional significant variables including interruption of the bladder-serosa interface, the radiologist's interpretation of invasion, and the largest dimension of invasion. Some previously described parameters, such as the degree of maternal pelvic vascularity, were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION. MRI parameters are associated with placental invasion and correlate with the need for cesarean hysterectomy, as well as pathologic and surgical impressions of invasion. From these parameters, an organized template can be created to standardize reporting of placental invasion.
Keywords: MRI; invasion; placenta accreta.