J Korean Radiol Soc.  1997 Sep;37(3):547-553.

MR Findings of Cerebral Palsy: Comparison Between Preterm Patients and Fullterm Patients

• Hwang YJ
• Kim DI
• Lee BH
• Yoon PH
• Jeon P
• Ryu YH
• Hwang GJ
• Kim EK

Abstract

PURPOSE
To observe the MR findings of cerebral palsy by evaluating cerebral damage resulting from hypoxic ischemic injury and other variable causes and to compare the findings between preterm and full-term patients.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We reviewed the MR findings of 102 cerebral palsy patients (71 full-term and 31 preterm). These were analysed with regard to deep and peripheral white matter, gray matter, basal ganglia, the thalamus, brainstem, cerebellum, corpus callosum and ventricles, according to the pattern of injury such as hypoxic ischemic injury, migration anomaly and early intrauterine injury, the findings of full-term and preterm patients were then compared.
RESULTS
MR findings of preterm patients (n=31) were as follows ; hypoxic ischemic injury (n=26), normal (n=2), and migration anomaly (n=3), while those of full-term patients (n=71) were hypoxic ischemic injury (n=41), normal (n=24), migration anomaly (n=4), early uterine injury (n=2), and perirolandic ischemic injury (n=6); in 5 patients, this latter condition was combined with status marmoratus. Periventricular leukomalacia was the most common finding in both preterm patients and full-term patients; selective neuronal necrosis, parasagittal injury and perirolandic injury were observed only in full-term patients.
CONCLUSION
On MRI, variable findings of cerebral palsy were clearly observed; periventricular leukomalacia was the most common finding in both preterm and full-term patients.

Keyword

Brain, MR; Children, central nervous system ; Cerebral palsy

MeSH Terms

Basal Ganglia
Brain Stem
Cerebellum
Cerebral Palsy*
Corpus Callosum
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Leukomalacia, Periventricular
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Movement Disorders
Necrosis
Neurons
Thalamus