MRI in evaluating perinatal asphyxia – A closer look and a retrospective analysis

Abstract

Perinatal asphyxia is the significant cause of long-term morbidity and mortality in neonates and contributes 20% in the causes of neonatal mortality in India. Asphyxia in the perinatal period is the most important cause of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Due to difference in maturity at the time of hypoxic insult and extent of the insult, HIE presents with different MRI patterns. MRI is the most sensitive investigation in evaluation of these patterns of brain injury with additional significant role of Diffusion Weighted Imaging (DWI). Due to recent advances in MRI, it has become easy in determination of location of the injury, its extent and the evolution.

Keywords: Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), perinatal asphyxia, multi-cystic encephalomalacia, ulegyria.