Clinical and radiologic correlations in cerebral palsy

UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to determine clinico-radiologic correlations, using cranial magnetic resonance imaging (IRM)/computed tomographic exam (CT), in cerebral palsy (CP). MATERIAL AND METHOD: We studied 129 children (86 males, 43 females; aged 2-18 years) diagnosed with different types of CP. Computed tomographic examinations was performed in 100 (77.52%) of children and IRM in 29 (22.48%). RESULTS: In 19 (14.72%) children the neuroimaging exam was normal. At 110 (85.28%) patients the IRM/CT showed different types of abnormalities. The most common neuroimaging findings was ventriculomegaly (38 cases), followed by focal infarct (28 cases), periventricular leukomalacia (17 cases), cortical and cortical/subcortical atrophy (13 cases), basal ganglia lesions (12 cases) and cortical migration and organization problems (12 cases). The CT/IRM abnormalities was associated in 65.45% of cases with mental retardation and 44.54% presented epileptic seizures. In CP neuroimaging findings are common, but variable and IRM/CT change correlates with neurological assessment. CONCLUSION: Patients with CP and mental retardation or/and epilepsy were more likely to have obvious CT/IRM changes.