OBJECTIVETo investigate the correlation between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) score and clinical grading in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).

METHODSClinical grading was performed for 61 neonates with HIE according to the HIE clinical grading standard. The modified MRI scoring system was used to determine the injury scores on different MRI sequences. The correlation between HIE imaging score and clinical severity was analyzed.

RESULTSThe MRI score in neonates with moderate HIE was significantly lower than that in those with severe HIE (P<0.01). Neonates aged 0-7 days had the highest correlation coefficient between diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) score and total MRI score (r>0.9), and neonates aged >7 days had the highest correlation coefficient between T1-weighted imaging score and total MRI score (r=0.963). Brain MRI showed injuries in the basal ganglia/thalamus+brainstem and even the whole brain in neonates with severe HIE, while the neonates with moderate HIE had injuries in the cerebral watershed, with little involvement of the brainstem (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSThere is a good correlation between the MRI scoring system and clinical grading in neonatal HIE, suggesting the system can help with the clinical diagnosis and grading of HIE.