Significance of Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Severe Hyperbilirubinemia / 대한주산의학회잡지

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: We evaluated the brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and significance in newborns with severe hyperbilirubinemia. METHODS: This study included 60 newborns with severe hyperbilirubinemia at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of the Chungnam National University Hospital from January 2006 to April 2011. The patients were grouped according to with or without high signal intensities in the globus pallidus (GP) on T1-weighted MRI. We compared the clinical characteristics and neurodevelopmental outcomes between the groups. RESULTS: Thirty-seven of the 60 newborns (62%) showed symmetric high signal intensities in the GP on T1-weighted MRI or intracranial hemorrhage. The group that had high signal intensities in the GP on T1-weighted MRI showed a higher tendency of hemolysis, anemia and exchange transfusion. Demographic characteristics and neurodevelopmental outcomes were similar between the groups. CONCLUSION: We suggest that the GP involvement in severe hyperbilirubinemia of newborn is described as high signal intensities on T1-weighted MRI in the early stage but this lesion is a transient phenomenon that have relatively good long-term prognosis.