Case Series of Isolated Deep Gray Matter Injuries in Preterm Infants

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in neonates is an important cause of brain damage that leads to severe neurological sequelae or death. Brain injury patterns on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans are used to predict neurodevelopmental outcome severity. This case series describes the clinical manifestations and neurologic outcomes of four preterm infants with isolated deep gray matter injuries. Basal ganglia and thalamic lesions were noted without white matter and cerebral cortex lesion on brain MRI. All patients were preterm infants born at less than 33 weeks’ gestation and required resuscitation in the delivery room. All had seizures during the neonatal period requiring anti-seizure medications. Severe neurologic disability was identified in three patients using neurodevelopmental assessment tools. Another patient has not been evaluated with assessment tools yet as he was 2 months’ corrected age, but he was supported by home ventilation via a tracheostomy due to insufficient self-respiration. This case series demonstrates that isolated deep gray matter injuries in preterm infants could predict severe neurodevelopmental outcomes.