Seizures in children: Spectrum of findings on brain magnetic resonance imaging at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Ghana

Abstract

Background: The current imaging modality of choice in the evaluation of patients with seizures is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI with a specific seizure protocol considerably has a positive impact on patients' management. This study determined the spectrum of brain findings in children with seizures. Materials and Methods: The study subjects were 191 children aged 1–16 years who presented with seizures within January 2017–August 2021. Socio-demographics and MRI examinations were retrospectively studied. Brain MRI images of patients with their respective reports were analyzed by experienced radiologists. Data from these reports were collected and coded into Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version-20.0 for analysis. Results: One hundred and ninety-one children were included in the study comprising 99 (51.8%) males and 92 (48.2%) females. Abnormal brain images were noted in 89 (46.6%) of the study population. The most common abnormalities were cerebral atrophy 41 (21.5%), white matter T2 Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery hyperintensities 22 (11.5%), and temporal lobe atrophy 9 (4.7%). Twenty-six (29.2%) of the children presented with multiple lesions and these were more common in children <5 years of age. Conclusion: MRI is extremely useful in the early detection and diagnosis of the causes of seizures in children in low socio-economic setting like ours. The majority of the children with brain lesions were under five years, and in a setting like ours, all efforts should be made to image them since they are sometimes denied MRI due to the relatively high cost of the procedure.