Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein is a valuable laboratory test used in pregnant women as an indicator to detect certain clinical abnormalities. These can be grouped into four main categories: fetal factors, pregnancy complications, placental abnormalities, and maternal factors. Imaging is an invaluable tool to investigate the various etiologies leading to altered maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein. By reading this article, the radiologist, sonologist, or other health care practitioner should be able to define the probable pathology leading to the laboratory detected abnormal maternal serum levels, thus helping the clinician to appropriately manage the pregnancy and counsel the patient.
Keywords: Alpha-fetoprotein; Fetal congenital abnormalities; High-risk pregnancy; Second trimester screening.