MR of spastic tetraplegia.

PURPOSE To characterize the MR findings in children with spastic tetraplegia by gestational age at birth and perinatal history. METHODS Thirty-four children, 19 boys and 15 girls, with spastic tetraplegia whose brain damage occurred in the prenatal or perinatal period were included in the study. Eighteen were born at term or later and 16 were premature. Axial proton density- and T2-weighted images and sagittal and coronal T1-weighted images were obtained on a 0.5-T MR imaging unit. RESULTS All patients had abnormal MR findings, with a high prevalence of congenital anomalies (62.5%) in term patients who had experienced no adverse perinatal events. Term patients who had suffered detrimental perinatal events had a wide variety of brain lesions. A high frequency (75%) of periventricular leukomalacia was characteristic of preterm patients. CONCLUSION MR imaging is useful for evaluating structural abnormalities in the brain and the extent of brain injury in patients with spastic tetraplegia.