G. Niemann et al., CONGENITAL HEMIPARESIS AND PERIVENTRICULAR LEUKOMALACIA - PATHOGENETIC ASPECTS ON MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING, Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 36(11), 1994, pp. 943-950
The authors report on the clinical examination and magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI) of 41 children (29 term and 12 preterm) whose diagnosis
of congenital hemiparesis was confirmed after the first year of life.
Periventricular leukomalacia was the most predominant MRI finding (fou
nd in 15 term and eight preterm infants). The uniform pattern of lesio
ns observed through MRI (without clear correlation with gestational ag
e) suggests a common aetiopathogenesis in this subgroup. Comparison of
these MR images with the periventricular leukomalacia observed in pre
term children with spastic diplegia supports the thesis that ischaemia
occurring between the 28th and 35th weeks of gestation could be the m
ain cause.