591 Mri and Outcome of Neonates Treated with Mild Hypothermia After Perinatal Asphixia

Background and aims: HIE severity and MRI findings are predictors of neurological outcome in asphyxiated neonates. Mild hypothermia may reduce the severity of basal ganglia and thalamus lesions, which are predictive of abnormal outcome. Moreover hypothermia does not induce any unexpected cerebral lesions. We compare MRI lesions with HIE grade and neurological outcome. Methods: From December 2006 in S. Gerardo Hospital NICU, mild hypothermia (selective head cooling) is the standard of care for the hypoxicischemic newborns. Patient's selection and treatment were done according to the protocols employed in the published randomized trials. The treated neonates were 26, 12 infants had hypoxicischemic encephalopathy (HIE) grade II and 14 had HIE grade III. MRI (T1-T2 and diffusion-weighted sequences) was performed within 15 days of life and classified according to the Mercury's classification. The neurological outcome was assessed at 12 months. Results: MRI showed cerebral lesions in 71% (mostly mild). Unexpected MRI lesions weren't seen. There is no correlation between severity of HIE and MRI lesions; moreover there is not correlation between the severity of MRI cerebral lesions and motor delay or cerebral palsy. Conclusions: in our population of cooled infants, neurological outcome is not associated with the degree of HIE and the severity of MRI lesions.