Context
Congenital brain anomalies are of diverse types however few are seen in clinical practice. They are associated with high
morbidity and
mortality ; prompt
diagnosis and management
aid in mitigating some of their
adverse effects .
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is ideal for imaging these conditions, especially in pediatric cases due to its lack of
ionizing radiation and excellent soft-
tissue delineation. Not much
literature exists for
Nigeria due to challenges with
statistics and
record keeping.
Aim: The aim of this study is to
document the common
congenital brain anomalies encountered using MRI in our
environment . Settings and
Design: A 5-year
retrospective study of all pediatric
brain MRI conducted and reviewed in Lagos
University Teaching Hospital . 73 pediatric
brain MRI scans were reviewed. Materials and
Methods: Morphologic evaluation of all pediatric
brain MRI conducted in the last 5 years (March 2012February 2016) was reviewed, retrospectively, by three independent
radiologists . Clinical presentations were also documented.
Statistical Analysis Used Descriptive
statistics was done using SPSS PASW
Statistics for Windows, Version 18.0
Results: Seventy-three pediatric
brain MRI scans were conducted in the last 5 years with
congenital brain anomalies seen in 19 (26.0%) of the cases. Their ages ranged from 3 months to 17 years with a mean age of 6.7 ± 6.1 years. There were 9 (47.4%)
males and 10 (52.6%)
females . The common anomalies are
congenital hydrocephalus 7 (35%), of which
aqueductal stenosis was 6 (32%),
arteriovenous malformations 3 (16%), cerebral
atrophy 3 (16%), and
arachnoid cysts 2 (11%). Predominant clinical features were delayed developmental milestones,
macrocephaly , seizures,
headaches , and
vomiting .
Conclusion: The common
congenital brain anomalies in our
environment are
congenital hydrocephalus ,
aqueductal stenosis ,
arteriovenous malformations, cerebral atrophy and
arachnoid cysts . MRI is useful in evaluating these anomalies;
early diagnosis and prompt intervention can be offered to mitigate
adverse effects