Neonatal Hypoglcemia Areas of restricted diffusion are seen in both parietal and occipital lobes and corpus callosum extending rostrally into the frontal lobes. The basal ganglia and central gray matter are normal. Post-contrast images show collection of contrast within the parietal scalp, the site of injection, due to extravasation. The high signal in the parietal and to a lesser extent in the frontal gyri reflects methhemoglobin and patchy post-contrast enhancement.
Neonatal hypoglycemia is an under-recognized condition due to protean clinical presentation.
Up to eight percent of low-risk infants suffer such an episode within 3 to 4 hours of delivery. Shrunken and atrophic white matter is seen in the chronic phase. The MR findings are quite profound. Barkovich AJ, Al Ali F, Rowley HA, Bass N. Imaging patterns of neonatal hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia and brain injury.