Usefulness of Magnetic Resonance Imaging after Serial Cranial Ultrasound in the Neonates Graduating Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To evaluate usefulness of MR imaging after serial brain US in the high-risk neonates before discharge of the neonatal intensive care unit. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective comparison of 412 US and 121 MR scans in 121 neonates and young infants were performed. Grading of germinal matrix /intraventricular hemorrhage (GMH/IVH) was performed and presence of intracranial hemorrhage other than GMH/IVH and parenchyma lesions was also analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 242 lateral ventricles, Seven GMH and 46 IVH were additionally detected by MRI. On the other hand, 30 GMH were only detected by US. US demonstrated Grade 1/2/3/4 GMH/IVH in 24/8/13/0 ventricles each, while each grades were identified in 3, 49, 10, 2 ventricles on MR images. Other intracranial lesions additionally detected on MR images were cerebral hemorrhage (n=4), cerebellar hemorrhage (n=4), extraaxial hemorrhage (n=8), diffuse excessive signal change of the white matter (n=72), non-cavitary lesion (n=4), encephalomalacia (n=2), and ventriculomegaly (n=5). CONCLUSION: MR imaging could be an excellent complimentary study after serial brain US for additional detection of the intracranial pathology, particularly IVH and white matter lesions, though US would be better in follow-up of GMH in some neonates.