Medical Imaging in Pregnancy: Safety, Appropriate Utilization, and Alternative Modalities for Imaging Pregnant Patients

• Published in: Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) Vol. 16; no. 2; p. e54346
• Main Authors: Albakri, Abdullah A, Alzahrani, Mohammed M, Alghamdi, Saeed H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Cureus Inc 17.02.2024; Cureus
• Subjects: Chronic illnesses; Congenital diseases; Contrast agents; Fetuses; Intellectual disabilities; Magnetic resonance imaging; Medical imaging; Obstetrics/Gynecology; Pharmaceuticals; Pregnancy; Public Health; Radiation; Radiology; Tomography; Ultrasonic imaging; Womens health; X-rays; prenatal radiation exposure; radiology guidelines for pregnant patients; safety; pregnancy; radiation risks; fetal radiation exposure; fetal dosimetry; ionizing radiation; medical imaging
• ISSN: 2168-8184; 2168-8184
• DOI: 10.7759/cureus.54346

This article reviews the existing literature on diagnostic and medical imaging of pregnant women, the risks and safety measures of different medical imaging modalities, and alternative modalities for imaging pregnant patients. Different medical imaging modalities such as MRI, CT scan, ultrasound, nuclear medicine, and X-ray imaging help to evaluate women with recognized or unrecognized pregnancies and identify any underlying complications among pregnant patients. Fetuses are more sensitive to radiation and the effects of medical imaging as compared to adults since they have a rapidly developing cell system. During cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation, fetuses suffer greatly from imaging radiation since they are developing under a dynamic system. To ensure safety, pregnant women should discuss the benefits and risks of medical imaging with their physicians. In addition, radiologists should not perform any medical imaging procedure without the patient's consent, unless the patient cannot make any sound decision. Fetal risks of medical imaging include slow growth and development of the fetus, abortion, malformations, impaired brain function, abnormal childhood growth, and neurological development. Diagnostic imaging procedures are necessary when a condition that needs medical evaluation arises during pregnancy such as appendicitis.