Published online December 29, 2008
PEDIATRICS Vol. 123 No. 1 January 2009, pp. 319-326 (doi:10.1542/10.1542/peds.2008-0283)
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ARTICLE

Comparison of Computer Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scans on the Third Day of Life in Term Newborns With Neonatal Encephalopathy

Vann Chau, MDa, Kenneth John Poskitt, MDCMb, Michael Andrew Sargent, MDb, Brian Alexander Lupton, MBa, Alan Hill, MD, PhDa, Elke Roland, MDa and Steven Paul Miller, MAS, MDCMa

Departments of a Pediatrics
b Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

OBJECTIVE. Our goal was to compare the patterns of brain injury detected by computed tomography, conventional MRI (T1- and T2-weighted sequences), and diffusion-weighted MRI in a cohort of term newborns with neonatal encephalopathy studied uniformly with all 3 modalities on the third day of life.

METHODS. Term newborns (≥36 weeks' gestation) admitted to our center with neonatal encephalopathy were scanned with computed tomography, MRI, and diffusion-weighted MRI at 72 (±12) hours of life (n = 48). Each modality was scored independently of the other with previously validated scoring systems. The predominant pattern of brain injury was classified as: normal, watershed, basal nuclei, total (maximal basal nuclei and watershed), and focal-multifocal (presence of strokes and/or white matter injury alone).

RESULTS. The agreement for the predominant pattern of injury was excellent between MRI and diffusion-weighted MRI (77% agreement). The agreement for the pattern of injury was also good for computed tomography and diffusion-weighted MRI (67% agreement). The extent of cortical injury and focal-multifocal lesions, such as strokes and white matter injury, were less apparent on computed tomography than diffusion-weighted MRI. In 19 newborns with a repeat MRI in the second week of life, the predominant pattern seen on the day 3 diffusion-weighted MRI was confirmed.

CONCLUSIONS. Diffusion-weighted MRI is the most sensitive technique with which to assess brain injury on day 3 of life in term newborns with neonatal encephalopathy, particularly for cortical injury and focal-multifocal lesions such as stroke and white matter injury. All 3 modalities identify the most serious patterns of brain injury similarly.

Key Words: brain imaging • diffusion-weighted MRI • hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy • magnetic resonance • neonatal, hypoglycemia

Abbreviations: NE—neonatal encephalopathy • CT—computed tomography • DW—diffusion-weighted • BN—basal nuclei • WMI—white matter injury • ADC—apparent diffusion coefficient • RS—resuscitation score

Accepted Apr 22, 2008.


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eLetters:

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Incorrect gestational age designation
Akshaya Vachharajani
Pediatrics Online, 10 Jan 2009 [Full text]