Abstract
Four observations illustrate the potential of MR imaging in the early depiction of multiple types of neuropathologic lesions which may coexist in the fullterm newborn, upon severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). In particular, diffuse, postnatal involvement of cerebral cortex and subcortical white matter (WM) is demonstrated. Cortical hyperintensity on both proton-density- and T1-weighted images is probably related to cellular necrosis which is distributed diffusely or parasagittally. Hyperintense, frontal, subcortical WM edging on proton-density-weighted images results from the increase of water concentration, induced either by infarct or by edema. Diffuse WM areas of low intensity on T1-weighted images and of high intensity on T2-weighted images are presumably related to cytotoxic and/or vasogenic edema, proportional to the underlying damaged tissues. On follow-up MR examinations, several months later, the importance of cortical atrophy and of the myelination delay appeared related to the importance of the lesions detected during the postnatal period.
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Christophe, C., Clercx, A., Blum, D. et al. Early MR detection of cortical and subcortical hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in full-term-infants. Pediatr Radiol 24, 581–584 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02012738
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02012738