Is magnetic resonance spectroscopy superior to conventional diagnostic tools in hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy?

Anoxic brain injury carries a poor prognosis. Therefore, a diagnostic tool sensitive enough to predict its outcome is needed. The authors describe the case of a 51-year-old woman who suffered cardiorespiratory arrest. Electroencephalography, somatosensory evoked potentials, and magnetic resonance imaging did not prove to be useful in establishing a definitive prognosis. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy demonstrated the presence of significant neuronal loss in the cortex and cerebellum and was the only diagnostic procedure closely associated with this patient's prognosis.