[Cerebral MRI of preterm neonates at term equivalent age at 3 Tesla: hints at white matter damage on T2- and diffusion weighted images].
BACKGROUND
MRI of the brain is reported to be very sensitive in the detection of diffuse white matter damage in preterm neonates.


OBJECTIVE
To review 3 Tesla-MRI studies of 21 preterm neonates at term equivalent age with regard to safety and detection of white matter changes.


METHODS
In 21 preterm neonates (9 female, 12 male, mean age 96 days) an MRI of the brain was performed for clinical reasons with oral sedation. All examinations could be performed at 3 Tesla without any complication. In 7 of 21 noncystic periventricular white matter lesions could be found and in 14 hyperintensity of white matter (DEHSI) was observed. ADC-values of the white matter were considerably higher than reported for healthy children in literature.


CONCLUSIONS
MRI at 3 Tesla can be performed safely in oral sedation at term equivalent age at 3 Tesla. T2-weighted and diffusion-weighted imaging is very sensitive for white matter changes.
Born
M
M
Funktionseinheit Kinderradiologie, Radiologische Klinik, Universitätsklinikum Bonn. mark.born@ukb.uni-bonn.de
Scheef
L
L
Boecker
H
H
Heep
A
A
D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D004453:Echoencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D052577:Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D020547:Lateral Ventricles / Q000473:pathology; D007969:Leukomalacia, Periventricular / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000473:pathology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011272:Pregnancy, Multiple; D011712:Pyramidal Tracts / Q000473:pathology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity