A Descriptive Study of MRI Findings of Children with Suspected Hypoxic Ischaemic Injury at a Tertiary Academic Hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa
Date
2024
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Abstract
Background: Hypoxic ischaemic brain injury and its clinical sequalae present a global health burden. MRI is the imaging modality of choice to investigate hypoxic ischaemic injury. As there is limited data from low and middle-income countries describing MRI findings of children with suspected hypoxic ischaemic brain injury, we describe the MRI findings of children with suspected hypoxic ischaemic brain injury in a resource-limited setting.
Materials and methods: MRI studies performed for children under the age of 15 years, with clinically suspected hypoxic ischaemic injury were retrospectively evaluated over a 2- year period. A simplified MRI classification of injury, with a final, majority consensus reading was used at the data analysis phase. The 3 readers were blinded to each other and all clinical details, except for age. All clinical information available at the time of MRI was collated by the principal investigator, who was not an imaging reader. Results A total of 128 MRI studies were evaluated. MRI evidence of hypoxic ischaemic injury was found in 42.2% of children. Normal MRI findings were present in 41 (32.0%) children; and punctate periventricular white matter injuries in 19.5%, watershed injury in 3.1%, central injury in 10.2% and diffuse injury in 23.4% of MRI studies. Preterm infants more commonly demonstrated periventricular white matter injury.
Conclusion: Periventricular white matter pattern of injury was the most common type in premature infants, congruent with international cohorts. Despite the majority of children with suspected hypoxic ischaemic injury being imaged beyond the infant period, MRI findings may have implications for medicolegal recourse
Description
A research report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Medicine in Diagnostic Radiology to the Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Clinical Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2024
Keywords
Neuroradiology, Hypoxic ischaemic brain injury, Cerebral palsy, MRI, UCTD
Citation
Lorentz, Liam. (2024). A Descriptive Study of MRI Findings of Children with Suspected Hypoxic Ischaemic Injury at a Tertiary Academic Hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa [Master’s dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg]. WireDSpace. https://hdl.handle.net/10539/42376