What is it about?

We are reporting the results of a study comparing cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cranial sonography (US) in 150 neonates with suspected HIE. Magnetic resonance imaging findings were normal in 44 patients (29%); 18% of patients showed only basal ganglia (BG) brightness, 10.6% showed brightness of the BG with intracerebral hemorrhage, and 63% of patients showed additional diagnostic details. Cranial US was normal in 75 patients (50%) and showed increased periventricular echogenicity in 32%, intraventricular hemorrhage in 9%, and additional diagnostic details in 13%. There was a positive correlation between MRI studies and US (P = .013). These data suggest that US is a worthwhile modality for the diagnosis of HIE but that early MRI findings will provide additional information in many cases in the detection of cerebral intraventricular hemorrhage.

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Why is it important?

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a major cause of brain damage and neurodevelopmental abnormalities in full-term newborn infants.

Perspectives

Writing this article was a great pleasure as it enabled me to know the good effect of using an adult head coil instead of a neonatal head coil (because it was not available). Also the standard imaging protocol modified to increase the repetition time for T1-and T2-weighted images from 400 to 800 msec.

Dr Mahmoud S. Babiker
Taibah University

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This page is a summary of: Evaluation of Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy by MRI and Ultrasound, Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography, April 2013, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/8756479313484549.
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