Magnetic resonance imaging in athetotic cerebral palsied children.

The magnetic resonance findings in 22 children with athetotic cerebral palsy were studied. Sixteen had perinatal asphyxia, two had neonatal jaundice, and four had no association with predisposing conditions. In six of the children, symmetrical high intensity areas were found in both the thalamus and putamen in T2-weighted images. In five children they were seen only in the thalamus, and in another one only in the putamen. In six children, symmetrical periventricular high intensity areas were seen. In seven of the subjects, no abnormal magnetic resonance findings were seen. Magnetic resonance lesions, possibly caused by asphyxia, were found in the basal ganglia, thalamus and/or cerebral white matter in 14 of 16 children. Three children with lesions only in the cerebral white matter had mild motor abnormality, and six children with lesions in both the thalamus and putamen did not have mild abnormality.