title: Magnetic resonance imaging findings in a population-based cohort of children with cerebral palsy.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency and spectrum of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) abnormalities in a population of children with cerebral palsy (CP) who were born in the years 2000 and 2001 in Victoria, Australia. In 2000 and 2001, 221 children (126 males, 95 females; mean age 6y [SD 7mo], range 5-7y) with CP, excluding those with CP due to postneonatal causes (6% of all cases), were identified through the Victorian Cerebral Palsy Register. All medical records were systematically reviewed and all available brain imaging was comprehensively evaluated by a single senior MRI radiologist. MRI was available for 154 (70%) individuals and abnormalities were identified in 129 (84%). The study group comprised 88% with a spastic motor type CP; the distribution was hemiplegia in 33.5%, diplegia in 28.5%, and quadriplegia in 37.6% of children. Overall, pathological findings were most likely to be identified in children with spastic hemiplegia (92%) and spastic quadriplegia (84%). Abnormalities were less likely to be identified in non-spastic motor types (72%) and spastic diplegia (52%). The most common abnormalities identified on MRI were periventricular white matter injury (31%), focal ischaemic/haemorrhagic lesions (16%), diffuse encephalopathy (14%), and brain malformations (12%). Dual findings were seen in 3% of patients. This is the first study to document comprehensively the neuroimaging findings of all children identified with CP born over a consecutive 24-month period in a large geographical area.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Medicine, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Marnie N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: Lyndal J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Peake
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Ditchfield
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lanigan
authors.forename: Dinah S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Reddihough
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000473:pathology*; D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007969:Leukomalacia, Periventricular / Q000175:diagnosis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D012189:Retrospective Studies