MRI IN ACUTE HEMIPLEGIA OF CHILDHOOD

Objective: Acute hemiplegia in childhood is rare, the underlying etiol ogy frequently obscured and the pathological site unidentified. Materi als and Methods: Magnetic resonance imaging (1.5 T Magnetom) was perfo rmed in two cases with hemiplegia followed by repeated studies at 3 an d 16 months, respectively, after the initial examinations, including C T and angiography, were negative. Results: MRI demonstrated otherwise occult lesions in the brain stem and showed the subsequent partial res olution consistent with infarction. Conclusion: MRT should be employed in those children with acute hemiplegia in whom no underlying cause i s elicited.