Correlation Study Between Magnetic Resonance Imaging In Spastic Cerebral Palsy And The Type Of CP And Gestational Age At Birth

Objective To study the types of lesions on magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) in spastic cerebral palsy (CP) and their correlation with the type of CP and gestational age at birth.Methods We made a retrospective review of 224 patients diagnosed as having spastic CP, who were treated in the Qingdao Rehabilitation Center For Disabled Children between 2003 and 2006.Results Of 224 spastic CP patients,twenty-seven patients had spastic hemiplegia, 149 had spastic diplegia, and 48 had spastic tetraplegia. MRI abnormal were in 201 patients(89.7%). The abnormal rate of MRI in spastic hemiplegia, diplegia and tetraplegia were 100%, 87.2% and 91.7%, respectively. Periventricular leukomalacia(PVL) were observed mostly in patients with spastic diplegia, other types of brain lesions were uncommon. In spastic tetraplegia the lesions were more varied. Three predominated types of MRI abnormalities were: PVL, term-type brain injuries and congenital brain abnormalies, 45.8%, 20.8% and 18.8%, respectively. Unilateral lesions were observed mostly in patients with hemiplegia spastic diplegia born at term who showed Unilateral motor disorder and upper extremity were heavier than lower extremity. Unilateral and bilateral PVL wereobserved in patients with hemiplegia spastic diplegia born at preterm who showed lower extremity were heavier than upper extremity. Of 152 cases with PVL, 108 cases were Preterm infants(71.1%) and 44 cases were term infants(28.9%). Of 22 cases with term-type brain injuries, 20 cases were term infants(90.9%). Periventricular leukomalacia were most observed in Preterm brain injuries and were observed most in preterm patients but were also in term patients. Term-type brain injuries (border-zone infarct, basal ganglia-thalamic lesion, subcortical leukomalacia, and multicystic encephalomalacia) were observed most in term and rare in preterm patients.Conclusions The MRI findings in CP showed good correlation with type of CP and gestational age.Postgraduate Student: Yu Rong(Pediatric)Directed by Prof. Zong-bo Chen...