Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Neonatology pp 2091–2111Cite as

Neuroimaging Studies

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:

  • 97 Accesses

Abstract

Combining different neuroimaging modalities like cranial transfontanellar ultrasound (CUS) and MRI techniques remains the key point to optimize the diagnostic approach to investigate late-preterm and term newborn babies with neurological symptoms. In addition, CUS and MRI are used also to screen very preterm babies at high risk for developing perinatally acquired lesions like hemorrhages (germinal matrix hemorrhage-intraventricular hemorrhage and cerebellar hemorrhage) and hypoxic/inflammatory abnormalities of white matter. CUS can be used in very preterm babies from the first hours of life, while MRI is utilized more often at term-equivalent age. Despite the American Academy of Pediatrics recently included “routine MRI a term-corrected age” of very premature babies among the five things not to do, we believe it is nowadays a common practice in the western world NICUs and, perhaps, it is justified practice for a special medicine like neonatal intensive care, a modern medicine always so deeply linked with the most modern research.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the modality that allows assessment of the developing brain in great detail because of its resolving power and noninvasiveness. MR techniques are unique in that they provide the best sensitivity in detecting also metabolic and functional information without the use of ionizing radiation. Conventional MRI is therefore now widely used for identifying normal and pathologic brain morphology and giving objective information about the structure of the neonatal brain during development and injury.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   479.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD   799.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Benders MJ, Groenendaal F, Uiterwaal CS et al (2007) Maternal and infant characteristics associated with perinatal arterial stroke in the preterm infant. Stroke 38:1759–1765

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bouza H, Dubowitz LM, Rutherford M et al (1994) Late magnetic resonance imaging and clinical findings in neonates with unilateral lesions on cranial ultrasound. Dev Med Child Neurol 36:951–964

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Burns CM, Rutherford MA, Boardman JP, Cowan FM (2008) Patterns of cerebral injury and neurodevelopmental outcomes after symptomatic neonatal hypoglycemia. Pediatrics 122:65–74

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheong JL, Cowan FM (2009) Neonatal arterial ischaemic stroke: obstetric issues. Semin Fetal Neonatal Med 14:267–271

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Childs AM, Cornette L, Ramenghi LA et al (2001) Magnetic resonance and cranial ultrasound characteristics of periventricular white matter abnormalities in newborn infants. Clin Radiol 56:647–655

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cornette LG, Tanner SF, Ramenghi LA (2002) Magnetic resonance imaging of the infant brain: anatomical characteristics and clinical significance of punctate lesions. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal 86:F171–F177

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cowan FM, Pennock JM, Hanrahan JD et al (1994) Early detection of cerebral infarction and hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy in neonates using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Neuropediatrics 25:172–175

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • D’Arceuil HE, de Crespigny AJ, Röther J et al (1998) Diffusion and perfusion magnetic resonance imaging of the evolution of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy in the neonatal rabbit. J Magn Reson Imaging 8:820–828

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dudnik J, Mercuri E, Al-Nakib L et al (2009) Evolution of unilateral arterial ischemic stroke on conventional and diffusion-weighted MR imaging. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 30:998–1004

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fumagalli M, Ramenghi LA, Righini A et al (2009) Cerebellar haemorrhages and pons development in extremely low birth weight infants. Front Biosci 1:537–541

    Google Scholar 

  • Govaert P, Ramenghi L, Taal R et al (2009) Diagnosis of perinatal stroke I: definitions, differential diagnosis and registration. Acta Paediatr 98:1556–1567

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Groenendaal F, Veenhoven RH, van der Grond J et al (1994) Cerebral lactate and N-acetyl-aspartate/choline ratios in asphyxiated full-term neonates demonstrated in vivo using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Pediatr Res 35:148–151

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hanrahan JD, Cox IJ, Azzopardi D et al (1999) Relation between proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy within 18 hours of birth asphyxia and neurodevelopment at 1 year of age. Dev Med Child Neurol 41:76–82

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hüppi PS (2001) MR imaging and spectroscopy of brain development. Magn Reson Imaging Clin N Am 9:1–17

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kersbergen KJ, Benders MJ, Groenendaal F et al (2014) Different patterns of punctate white matter lesions in serially scanned preterm infants. PLoS One 9(10):e108904

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Larroche JC (1972) Sub-ependymal pseudo-cysts in the newborn. Biol Neonate 21:170–183

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Malova M, Rossi A, Severino M et al (2017) Incidental findings on routine brain MRI scans in preterm infants. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 102:F73–F78

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ment LR, Hirtz D, Hüppi PS (2009) Imaging biomarkers of outcome in the developing preterm brain. Lancet Neurol 8:1042–1055

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parodi A, Morana G, Severino MS et al (2015a) Low-grade intraventricular hemorrhage: is ultrasound good enough? J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 28(Suppl 1):2261–2264

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parodi A, Rossi A, Severino M et al (2015b) Accuracy of ultrasound in assessing cerebellar haemorrhages in very low birthweight babies. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 100:F289–F292

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramenghi LA, Hüppi PS (2009) Imaging of the neonatal brain. In: Levene MI, Chevernak FA (eds) Fetal and neonatal neurology and neurosurgery. Churchill Livingstone, London, Edinburgh, pp 68–103

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramenghi LA, Domizio S, Quartulli L, Sabatino G (1997) Prenatal pseudocysts of the germinal matrix in preterm infants. J Clin Ultrasound 25:169–173

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ramenghi LA, Gill BJ, Tanner SF et al (2002) Cerebral venous thrombosis, intraventricular haemorrhage and white matter lesions in a preterm newborn with factor V (Leiden) mutation. Neuropediatrics 33:97–99

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ramenghi LA, Mosca F, Counsell S, Rutherford M (2005) Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain in preterm infants. In: Tortori Donati P (ed) Pediatric neuroradiology. Springer, Berlin, pp 199–234

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Ramenghi LA, Govaert P, Fumagalli M et al (2009) Neonatal cerebral sinovenous thrombosis. Semin Fetal Neonatal Med 14:278–283

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Righini A, Ramenghi LA, Parini R et al (2003) Water apparent diffusion coefficient and T2 changes in the acute stage of maple syrup urine disease: evidence of intramyelinic and vasogenic-interstitial edema. J Neuroimaging 13:162–165

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Righini A, Ramenghi L, Zirpoli S et al (2005) Brain apparent diffusion coefficient decrease during correction of severe hypernatremic dehydration. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 26:1690–1694

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rutherford MA, Pennock JM, Counsell SJ et al (1998) Abnormal magnetic resonance signal in the internal capsule predicts poor neurodevelopmental outcome in infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Pediatrics 102:323–328

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rutherford M, Ramenghi LA, Edwards AD et al (2010a) Assessment of brain tissue injury after moderate hypothermia in neonates with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy: a nested substudy of a randomised controlled trial. Lancet Neurol 9:39–45

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rutherford MA, Supramaniam V, Ederies A et al (2010b) Magnetic resonance imaging of white matter diseases of prematurity. Neuroradiology 52(6):505–521

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rutherford MA, Ramenghi LA, Cowan FM (2012) Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 97:F377–F384

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Steggerda SJ, De Bruïne FT, van den Berg-Huysmans AA et al (2013) Small cerebellar hemorrhage in preterm infants: perinatal and postnatal factors and outcome. Cerebellum 12:794–801

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tanner SF, Ramenghi LA, Ridgway JP et al (2000) Quantitative comparison of intrabrain diffusion in adults and preterm and term neonates and infants. AJR Am J Roentgenol 174:1643–1649

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tuor UI, Kozlowski P, Del Bigio MR (1998) Diffusion- and T2- weighted increases in magnetic resonance images of immature brain during hypoxia-ischemia: transient reversal posthypoxia. Exp Neurol 150:321–328

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Volpe JJ (2009) Brain injury in premature infants: a complex amalgam of destructive and developmental disturbances. Lancet Neurol 8:110–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wagenaar N, Chau V, Groenendaal F et al (2017) Clinical risk factors for punctate white matter lesions on early magnetic resonance imaging in preterm newborns. J Pediatr 182:34–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zayek MM, Benjamin JT, Maertens P et al (2012) Cerebellar hemorrhage: a major morbidity in extremely preterm infants. J Perinatol 32:699–704

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Neonatology, Giannina Gaslini Children’s Hospital, Genoa, Italy

    Luca A. Ramenghi & Petra S. Hüppi

Authors
  1. Luca A. Ramenghi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Petra S. Hüppi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Luca A. Ramenghi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy

    Giuseppe Buonocore

  2. Department of Pediatrics Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy

    Rodolfo Bracci

  3. Liverpool Women’s Hospital Neonatal Unit, Liverpool, UK

    Michael Weindling

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Ramenghi, L.A., Hüppi, P.S. (2018). Neuroimaging Studies. In: Buonocore, G., Bracci, R., Weindling, M. (eds) Neonatology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29489-6_269

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29489-6_269

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-29487-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-29489-6

  • eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation