Radiographic Severity of Neonatal Deep Medullary Venous Thrombosis is Associated with Neurodevelopmental Impairment

Objective

To evaluate the association between severity of brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) among neonates with radiographically identified deep medullary vein thrombosis (DMVT) and to develop an MRI grading system to help predict clinical outcomes.

Study design

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of infants admitted to a single, tertiary care hospital and diagnosed as having DMVT identified by brain MRI from January 1990 to March 2023. Clinical characteristics, MRI features, and neurodevelopmental assessments were analyzed. An MRI grading system was created to categorize the severity of radiographic injury as mild, moderate, or severe.

Results

Among 63 neonates diagnosed with DMVT, 41 exhibited moderate to severe MRI lesions. These patients were more likely to experience NDI than those with mild lesions (adjusted OR 24.3, 95% CI 4.7-180.2, P < .001). Follow-up data were available for 52 infants, of whom 40.4% developed NDI. MRI severity emerged as the strongest predictor of impaired outcomes, independent of other clinical factors such as gestational age, Apgar score, or seizures at presentation.

Conclusions

Neonates with moderate or severe DMVT on MRI are at risk for NDI. The proposed MRI grading system may be a valuable classification and prognostication tool for clinicians and researchers managing DMVT in neonates.