White Matter Damage in Neonates in the Course of Viral Illness.
- Author:
In Ok HWANG
1
;
Eun Sil LEE
Author Information
1. Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Yeung-Nam University, Daegu, Korea. les2055@ynu.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Case Report
- Keywords:
Brain magnetic resonance imaging;
Neonate;
Viral meningoencephalitis/ encephalopathy;
White matter damage
- MeSH:
Brain;
Corpus Callosum;
Electroencephalography;
Hippocampus;
Humans;
Infant;
Infant, Newborn*;
Internal Capsule;
Magnetic Resonance Imaging;
Mass Screening;
Metabolism;
Seizures;
Thalamus
- From:Journal of the Korean Society of Neonatology
2007;14(2):263-269
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Studies of brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of neonatal white matter damage are few, and descriptions of this type of brain damage are limited. During the past three years, we have encountered three full-term infants with selective white matter damage over the course of their viral illness. All three neonates presented with seizures a few days after showing symptoms of a viral illness. The results of bacterial cultures of the blood, CSF, and stool were negative. Newborn screening tests for organic aciduria, amino acid metabolism disorders, and fatty acid oxidation defects were also negative. In two infants, an electroencephalogram (EEG) showed slow basic activity, which is a typical finding in patients with encephalitis/encephalopathy. The Diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) showed abnormally high signal intensity localized to the white matter of the corpus callosum, thalamus, internal capsule, or hippocampus. The findings of DWI suggested that the neonates' lesions had occurred recently. All patients recovered completely.
