Imaging patterns of neonatal hypoglycemia.
OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to report the patterns of injury observed in five patients who suffered brain damage consequent to neonatal hypoglycemia.


METHODS
The imaging studies and clinical records of five patients with brain damage caused by neonatal hypoglycemia were reviewed retrospectively. Patterns of injury were compared with those described in the literature and those seen in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic injury.


RESULTS
Diffuse cortical and subcortical white matter damage was seen, with the parietal and occipital lobes affected most severely. Globus pallidus injury was present in one patient who had the most severe cortical injury.


CONCLUSIONS
We found a specific pattern of injury that correlates well with the sparse pathologic and imaging reports on neonatal hypoglycemia. We speculate that the patterns of damage are the result of regional hypoperfusion and excitatory toxicity with cell-type-specific injury.
Barkovich
A J
AJ
Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco, 94143, USA.
Ali
F A
FA
Rowley
H A
HA
Bass
N
N
D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed