title: [Value of brain MR imaging in infants with a severe idiopathic apparent life threatening event].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Prognostic value of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scoring system in infants with a severe apparent life threatening event (ALTE).
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten infants with an ALTE (aged between 6 and 31 weeks) were clinically graded according to the PRISM score and evaluated with EEG, evoked potentials and MRI. The 18 MRIs obtained were distributed in 3 classes according to the delay after which they were obtained; class A (n=5): within the first 48 hours after the event, class B (n=7): between day 3 and 8 and class C (n=6): between day 9 and 50. The 18 MRIs were evaluated retrospectively using a scoring system based on 3 categories of lesions: edema, basal ganglia injury and watershed injuries. Five infants died between day 2 and day 15 after the event. The five surviving infants had follow up neurodevelopmental testing after 38 to 77 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no correlation between the 5 MRIs of class A and the neurological outcome. For the MRIs of class B and C, the scoring system can be of great value when combined with the scores of EEG, EP and PRISM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The scoring system for MRI performed within 48 hours after the event is falsely reassuring. MRI can be helpful as early as 3 days after the event when combined with the score of the electrophysiological investigations and the PRISM.
authors.affiliation: Service d'Imagerie.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Christophe
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Boutemy
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Christiaens
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fonteyne
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ziereisen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dan
mesh_terms: D001480:Basal Ganglia Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000175:diagnosis; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000209:etiology; D003422:Critical Care; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000209:etiology; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D020925:Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007223:Infant; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000209:etiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000209:etiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013398:Sudden Infant Death; D013997:Time Factors