A follow-up visit study of hyperbilirubinemia outpatients with early abnormality in brain MRI and/or 1H-MRS images

ObjectiveTo evaluate the application of cranial MRI and/or 1H-MRS in diagnosing child outpatients with hyperbilirubinemia through follow-up visits. MethodsA total of 100 hyperbilirubinemia child patients underwent cranial MRI and/or 1H-MRS and abnormal changes were detected. After necessary clinical intervention, they were discharged and follow-up visited regularly. The visits included clinical neurological examination, MRI and/or 1H-MRS. The required follow-up frequency was once per month for less than six-month-old child patients, once other month for those more than six-month-old, until one-year-old. ResultsThe diagnostic rate of bilirubin brain injury was 57.0% by MRI, 75.0% by 1H-MRS and 25.0% by both at 7-day-old, which were remarkably higher than 12.0% by clinical bilirubin detection (P<0.05). The diagnostic rate of bilirubin brain injury was 39.2% by MRI and 21.6% by 1H-MRS at 3-month-old, which were remarkably higher than 21.6% by clinical bilirubin detection (P<0.05). However, there was no statistical difference in the diagnostic rate of bilirubin brain injury among these indexes at 1-year-old (P>0.05). ConclusionsEarly cranial MRI or 1H-MRS is sensitive to diagnose bilirubin brain injury. Dynamic imaging examination in follow-up visits is more clinical useful than single examination.