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White matter abnormalities in children with idiopathic developmental delay.
E Widjaja1, D Nilsson, S Blaser
1Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. elysa.widjaja@sickkids.ca
Acta Radiologica (Stockholm, Sweden : 1987)
|June 24, 2008
Summary
Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging reveals frequent abnormalities in children with unexplained developmental delay (DD). Ventricle and corpus callosum abnormalities suggest white matter changes, warranting further investigation.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pediatrics
- Radiology
Background:
- The etiology of developmental delay (DD) is often elusive despite comprehensive evaluations.
- Brain development abnormalities can lead to DD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the frequency of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging abnormalities in children with idiopathic developmental delay.
Main Methods:
- MR imaging was performed on 124 children with DD; 34 were excluded due to specific neurological conditions.
- Systematic review of brain structures including ventricles, corpus callosum, gray and white matter, limbic system, basal ganglia, brainstem, and cerebellum.
- Analysis focused on 90 children with idiopathic DD.
Main Results:
- 84% of children with idiopathic DD exhibited abnormal MR findings.
- Abnormalities in ventricles (48%) and corpus callosum (44%) were most common.
- White matter abnormalities were observed in 26% of cases.
Conclusions:
- A significant proportion of children with idiopathic DD show abnormalities in ventricles and corpus callosum, indicating white matter involvement.
- Further research utilizing quantitative methods and diffusion tensor imaging is recommended to better assess white matter integrity in this population.
