Magnetic Resonance Imaging Abnormalities in Advanced Acute Bilirubin Encephalopathy Highlight Dentato-Thalamo-Cortical Pathways

A distinct pattern of acute restricted diffusion on magnetic resonance imaging localized to key regions within the dentato-thalamo-cortical pathway was observed early in a term newborn during advanced stages of acute bilirubin encephalopathy. These findings demonstrate that vulnerability to bilirubin toxicity extends across specific neuro-anatomic tracts.