Role of diffusion‑weighted magnetic resonance imaging in detection of neonatal hypoxic‑ischemic encephalopathy

Background Hypoxic‑ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a critical pediatric disease with challenges in diagnosis. Many diagnostic tools have been used to diagnose this condition. Among all these tools, MRI with the advanced sequence; diffusion‑weighted imaging (DWI) plays a more vital role in early detection of this condition. In this research we emphasized the role of DW‑MRI in the diagnosis of HIE. Aim of work The aim of this work is to evaluate the role of DW‑MRI in detection and grading of HIE. Patients and methods This is a prospective study performed for 1 year (from January 2017 to January 2018). The studied group included 20 full‑term neonates admitted to NICU of Assiut University Hospital with provisional diagnosis of HIE. All patients underwent brain imaging by conventional and DW‑MRI. Results There was a moderate significant agreement between conventional MRI and DWI (P = 0.023) regarding both diagnosis and grading of HIE. Conclusion MR‑DWI is the preferred modality of imaging in diagnosis and grading of hypoxic‑ischemic injury due to its high sensitivity and easy interpretation with no need for contrast administration.