title: Spastic cerebral palsy: clinical magnetic resonance imaging correlation of 129 children.
abstract: A prospective study was undertaken of 129 children with spastic cerebral palsy to clarify the relationship between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and clinical features of cerebral palsy. Low birth weight, asphyxia, prematurity, seizures, mental development, Gross Motor Function Classification System, and MRI findings were analyzed. Significant abnormalities relevant to the cerebral palsy were evident on imaging in 123 (95.3%). A similar percentage of MRI abnormalities were detected in the groups, 45 (100%) in patients with tetraplegic cerebral palsy, 37 (92.5%) in children with diplegic cerebral palsy, and 42 (95.4%) with hemiplegic cerebral palsy. Periventricular leukomalacia was detected more frequently in the children with spastic diplegia than in the patients with tetraplegia or hemiplegia. Cerebral atrophy was found more often in the tetraplegic group compared to the diplegic patients. Porencephalic cysts were detected more frequently in children with spastic hemiplegia. Congenital brain anomalies were found in a higher proportion in tetraplegic children. Significant correlations between the MRI findings and Gross Motor Function Classification System in the diplegic and tetraplegic patients were found. No correlations between the MRI results and risk factors for cerebral palsy in the tetraplegic patients were noted. Early detection of brain abnormalities in children with cerebral palsy may help in the prognosis and in the initiation of appropriate therapy
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Neurology, Medical University of Bialystok, Waszyngtona 17, 15-274 Bialystok, Poland. kulak@hot.pl
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kułak
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sobaniec
authors.forename: Bozena
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kubas
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Walecki
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smigielska-Kuzia
authors.forename: Leszek
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bockowski
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Artemowicz
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sendrowski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric