title: [Neurological dysfunction induced by bilirrubin].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  "Kernicterus" is a term currently used to describe bilirrubin induced brain injury in the neuro-pathological studies. This is a confusing term and nowadays we prefer bilirrubin encephalopathy or bilirrubin induced neurological dysfunction. The clinical signs vary and it is clearly decreasing in prevalence in developed countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  We review a series of 7 patients with bilirrubin encephalopathy and variable neurological manifestations, who were seen in the Neuropaediatric Department in the last 10 years. Only one patient died in the neonatal period with hyperbilirubinaemia, sepsis and multi-organ failure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Diverse aetiological factors were related to hyperbilirubinaemia. All patients had clinical symptoms due to hyperbilirubinaemia. Neuroimaging during the neonatal period showed involvement of the nucleus pallidus, with hyperintensity in T1 in the brain MR scan as the most consistent finding. All the patients who survived developed neurological signs and we try to correlate them with biochemical, clinical, neuroimaging and neurophysiological parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An increase in the number of patients with bilirrubin encephalopathy has been observed over the last few years, and we attempt to find out the causes. The increased survival of the low birth weight newborns, the increase in the immigration population and the use of diagnostic neuroimaging contribute to this increase. It is a great challenge for the neonatologist and for neuropaediatricians to prevent its occurrence and to minimise the effects of bilirrubin encephalopathy.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Universitario Sant Joan de Dèu, Barcelona, España. campistol@hsjdbcn.org
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Campistol
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Galvez
authors.forename: A García
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Cazorla
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Málaga
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iriondo
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cusí
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D001344:Autopsy; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory; D005078:Exchange Transfusion, Whole Blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006932:Hyperbilirubinemia / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007647:Kernicterus / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010634:Phenobarbital / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010789:Phototherapy
chemical_list: D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D010634:Phenobarbital