Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy

• Etiology: 2 types of global hypoxia
  — Profound hypoxia – from cardiac arrest or abruptio placenta – affects regions of highest oxygen demand: basal ganglia, ventral lateral thalami, brainstem, hippocampi, corticospinal tracts, sensorimotor cortex
  — Partial hypoxia – from decreased cerebral blood flow – affects watershed regions such as periventricular white matter of premature infant (periventricular leukomalacia) or gray matter white matter junction of full term infant, seen best in parasagittal images
• CT: diffuse brain edema with pseudo subarachnoid hemorrhage, white cerebellar sign
• MRI: restricted diffusion in basal ganglia + cortex

Cases of Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy