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Abstract: Placenta accreta is a life-threatening obstetrical condition requiring a multidisciplinary approach. Despite identified obstetrical risk factors, the diagnosis is often made at the time of delivery. Recent advances in biology could allow a prenatal screening of placenta accreta with the identification of biological markers in maternal blood including cell-free fetal DNA, placental mRNA, and DNA microarray. These promising technologies can detect the presence of anomalies and should play a future role in developing a better understanding of placental invasion. Ultrasound imaging is popular due to its low cost and accessibility and widely used for the screening of placenta location and potential abnormal development. This exam is associated with high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis of placenta accreta when specific defined criteria are used for the diagnosis. A placental MRI provides a morphological description, as well as recently demonstrated topographical information that optimizes diagnosis and surgical management. The screening of placenta accreta should be improved with the use of a combination of these diagnostic techniques and benefit high-risk populations with a reduction in morbidity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We report the case of a fetus with a sonographic mid-gestation diagnosis of hyperechogenic cerebellum suspected to be of hemorrhagic origin on fetal brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). No etiological factors for fetal hemorrhage were found other than a maternal heterozygocity for factor V Leiden. Following termination of the pregnancy, autopsy confirmed the prenatal diagnosis of massive cerebellar hemorrhage without underlying vascular anomaly. As an additional tool to ultrasonography, fetal brain MRI can affirm the hemorrhagic origin of hyperechogenic cerebellar lesions, especially by showing a high signal on T1-weighted images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]