Clinical impact of term-equivalent magnetic resonance imaging in extremely low-birth-weight infants at a regional NICU

Objective:To evaluate the clinical impact of routine term-equivalent magnetic resonance imaging (TE-MRI) for extremely low-birth-weight infants at a regional neonatal intensive care unit.Study Design:This is a single-center retrospective study evaluating preterm survivors who underwent TE-MRI. MRI abnormalities were compared between infants with and without cranial ultrasonography (CUS) abnormalities. Cost analysis comparing imaging modalities was also performed.Results:TE-MRI use increased from 17% in 2006 to 76% in 2010. MRI detected new findings in nearly half of infants, whether or not they had known ultrasound abnormalities. MRI detected more cerebellar (18% vs 6%, P=0.04) and moderate white matter injury (12% vs 7%, P<0.001), and altered simulated neurological prognosis across developmental domains. The cost of TE-MRI was $1600, which was comparable to serial CUSs.Conclusion:TE-MRI detects new abnormalities and impacts developmental prognosis in the extremely low birth weight, which supports its use despite the added financial cost.

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