BAEPs in infants with myelomeningocele and later development of Chiari II malformation-related brainstem dysfunction.
Thirty-seven infants with myelomeningocele received brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) at a median age of eight days. No infant had brainstem dysfunction at the time of testing. Median follow-up was at 30 months. Of 12 infants who subsequently developed brainstem dysfunction at a median age of three months, 11 had had abnormal neonatal BAEPs. In contrast, only 10 of 25 infants who did not develop brainstem dysfunction had abnormal BAEPs. The mean average I-V interpeak latencies was greater among those who developed symptoms than among those who did not. Neonatal BAEPs can identify a group of asymptomatic infants with myelomeningocele who need close follow-up for the subsequent development of brainstem dysfunction.
Worley
G
G
Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710.
Erwin
C W
CW
Schuster
J M
JM
Park
Y
Y
Boyko
O B
OB
Griebel
M L
ML
Weidman
E R
ER
Radtke
R A
RA
Oakes
W J
WJ
D001139:Arnold-Chiari Malformation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology; D008591:Meningomyelocele / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity