Quantitative measurement of deep medullary venous in susceptibility weighted imaging: comparison of hypoxic ischemic and normal neonates

Abstract

This study aims to determine the differences of deep medullary venous between hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and normal neonates by a quantitative method. 7 normal and 20 HIE neonates were examined by using an ESWAN (enhanced T2* weighted angiography) sequence. In the minimal intensity projection (mIP) map, 3 regions of interest (ROIs) were defined, including deep medullary veins in bilateral brain regions of centrum semiovale, deep white matters of frontal lobe and temporal-occipital junction. Vein-ROI ratio (VRR=vein area/ROI area) was calculated in these ROIs respectively. Results showed increased VRR values in deep medullary veins in HIE group versus normal group (p<0.001), which indicated that VRR may be a marker for the degree of hypoxia in neonates with HIE. This quantitative method is potentially valuable at depicting venous prominence for predicting degree of injury after HIE. (Abstract by ISMRM)