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[Parasagittal cerebral injury in perinatal asphyxia]
H Yoneyama1, H Yoshikawa, H Suzuki
1Division of Child Neurology, National Center Hospital for Mental, Nervous and Muscular Disorders, Kodaira, Tokyo.
Insights
Parasagittal cerebral injury in newborns is often missed. Early CT scan diagnosis in infants with specific neurological signs can aid understanding and prevention.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal neurology
- Pediatric neuroimaging
Background:
- Parasagittal cerebral injury is a potential cause of long-term deficits in children.
- Diagnosis is challenging in the neonatal period, with traditional methods often insufficient.
Observation:
- A case of parasagittal cerebral injury diagnosed via CT scan is presented.
- Neurological signs like proximal upper limb weakness suggest this injury.
Findings:
- CT scans performed 1-3 weeks after birth are effective for diagnosing parasagittal cerebral injury.
- This contrasts with earlier beliefs about the inutility of CT scans.
Implications:
- Early diagnosis facilitates understanding of injury frequency, prognosis, and pathogenesis.
- Improved diagnostic approaches may lead to preventative strategies for affected infants.
Abstract:
It is suggested that parasagittal cerebral injury in the asphyxiated full term infant may be common. However, parasagittal cerebral injury is rarely diagnosed in the neonatal period. It is said that cranial ultrasonography and CT scan are not useful to identify this lesion. Recently, it is considered that some of the intellectual deficits and behavioral problems in children at school age may have their origin in perinatal parasagittal cerebral injury. We described a patient with parasagittal cerebral injury demonstrated by CT scan. Infants with neurological abnormalities which include weakness or abnormal muscular tone of proximal upper limbs suggest parasagittal cerebral injury. CT scan obtained between 1 and 3 weeks of life is considered to be useful for the diagnosis. Early diagnosis and follow-up of parasagittal cerebral injury may lead to the understanding of frequency, prognosis and pathogenesis and to its prevention.