MR imaging of a viable full-term abdominal pregnancy

Intraabdominal pregnancy in the third trimester is rare; the subsequent delivery of a viable full-term fetus is exceptional. Optimal obstetric care requires early diagnosis and prompt surgical intervention to avert the potential complications associated with abdominal pregnancy. Clinical history and physical examination may be insufficient or misleading, making the preoperative diagnosis extremely difficult. Sonography is currently the most effective method for diagnosing an abdominal pregnancy [1,2]. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a new, apparently safe, imaging method that can provide images in multiple planes without the use of ionizing radiation. We report a case of an abdominal pregnancy yielding a viable healthy full-term infant that was evaluated prenatally with MRI.