Single photon emission computed tomography and serial MRI in preterm infants with kernicterus

• Published in: Brain & development (Tokyo. 1979) Vol. 28; no. 6; pp. 348 - 352
• Main Authors: Okumura, Akihisa, Hayakawa, Fumio, Maruyama, Koichi, Kubota, Tetsuo, Kato, Katsuhiko, Watanabe, Kazuyoshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.07.2006
• Subjects: Basal Ganglia - blood supply; Basal Ganglia - diagnostic imaging; Basal Ganglia - pathology; Cerebral Cortex - blood supply; Cerebral Cortex - diagnostic imaging; Cerebral Cortex - pathology; Cerebral Palsy - diagnostic imaging; Cerebral Palsy - etiology; Cerebral Palsy - pathology; Cerebrovascular Circulation; Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Premature; Kernicterus; Kernicterus - complications; Kernicterus - diagnostic imaging; Kernicterus - pathology; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; MRI; Single photon emission computed tomography; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; MRI; Single photon emission computed tomography; Kernicterus
• ISSN: 0387-7604; 1872-7131
• DOI: 10.1016/j.braindev.2005.11.004

Single photon emission computed tomography was performed in three preterm infants with athetoid cerebral palsy due to kernicterus. No clinical signs and symptoms of kernicterus, or ultrasonographic abnormalities were seen during the neonatal period in any patients. Although MRI during infancy revealed high intensity areas in bilateral globi pallidi in all of them, MRI abnormalities were mild in two of them. On later MRI, subtle high intensity areas in the globi pallidi were recognized in only one of them. Single photon emission computed tomography demonstrated hypoperfusion in the basal ganglia regions in all patients. Regions of interest analyses showed decreased blood flow in the basal ganglia related to the cortical areas. Single photon emission computed tomography will be useful for the diagnosis of kernicterus, whereas MRI abnormalities become less clear beyond infancy.