MRI findings of hypoxic cortical laminar necrosis in a child with hemolytic anemia crisis

Abstract

We present magnetic resonance imaging findings of a 5-year-old girl who had a rapidly installing hemolytic anemia crisis induced by trimethoprim-sulfomethoxazole, resulting in cerebral anoxia leading to permanent damage. Magnetic Resonance imaging revealed cortical laminar necrosis in arterial border zones in both cerebral hemispheres, ischemic changes in subcortical white matter of left cerebral hemisphere, and in the left putamen. Although cortical laminar necrosis is a classic entity in adulthood related to conditions of energy depletions, there are few reports available in children. A wide review of the literature is also presented.