title: Neurodevelopmental outcome at 36 months in very low birth weight premature infants with MR diffuse excessive high signal intensity (DEHSI) of cerebral white matter.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To understand the meaning of diffuse excessive high signal intensity (DEHSI) of white matter (WM), a frequently observed finding on MR in VLBW infants at a corrected term age.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective study. Qualitative visual assessment of cerebral WM signal intensity on T2WI was performed by two readers on 78 VLBW infants, scanned on a 1.5 T-MRI at term equivalent age. ADC values were then measured in six regions of interest: four in frontal and parietal periventricular and two in parietal subcortical WM. Mean ADC values were then compared with qualitative visual assessment and with mean ADC values obtained ten term healthy babies. Both periventricular and subcortical mean ADC values were correlated with the neurological follow-up, evaluated with the Griffith's mental developmental scale at 36 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no agreement between the visual qualitative assessment of white matter DEHSI and corresponding ADC values (P values = 0.42 for periventricular WM; P values = 0.18 for subcortical WM). Mean ADC values were higher in preterms than in term babies (P values <0.001). No significant correlation was found between ADC values and the developmental quotient at 36 months (P values >0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DEHSI in VLBW infants is a MR finding poorly defined with conventional T2 MRI. The presence of T2 hyperintensities weakly correlates with ADC, and ADC values are not associated with the neurological long-term outcome at 3 years, demonstrating that DEHSI should not be considered as a WM disease.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Milan, Via Festa del Perdono, 7, 20122, Milan, Italy. sonia.calloni@unimi.it.
authors.forename: Sonia Francesca
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Calloni
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca'Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia Maria
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Cinnante
authors.affiliation: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Clinical Science and Community Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca'Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bassi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca'Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Avignone
authors.affiliation: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Clinical Science and Community Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca'Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fumagalli
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Milan, Via Festa del Perdono, 7, 20122, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Luke
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bonello
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Consonni
authors.affiliation: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Clinical Science and Community Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca'Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Odoardo
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Picciolini
authors.affiliation: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Clinical Science and Community Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca'Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mosca
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca'Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Triulzi
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007234:Infant, Premature; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D066127:White Matter / Q000033:anatomy & histology*
keywords: Brain imaging; Diffuse excessive high signal intensity; Diffusion-weighted imaging; Magnetic resonance imaging; Neurodevelopment; Premature infants; White matter