Neuroimaging Findings in Vitamin B12-Deficient Infants With Neurologic Features

Background:Vitamin B-12 deficiency causes serious neurologic problems among infants. However, its neuroradiologic correlate is still largely obscure. Methodology: This prospective study was conducted on patients aged 6 months to 2 years. All children with proven vitamin B-12 deficiency were planned to undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the brain. Results: A total of 35 patients (63% female) were enrolled. Twenty-six (74%) patients had significant findings on brain MRI scan, commonest of which were thinning of corpus callosum and prominence of extra-axial spaces in 28.6% children, cerebral atrophy in 17%, and diffuse symmetrical hyperintensity of white matter in 5.7% patients. Using logistic regression, it was found that odds of abnormal neuroimaging findings were higher in children below 12 months, in females, and in patients with developmental regression, but none of them were statistically significant. Conclusion: Most of the infants with vitamin B-12 deficiency have abnormal neuroimaging findings.

Automated summary

This prospective study investigated the neurologic problems caused by vitamin B-12 deficiency in infants. The study found that most infants with vitamin B-12 deficiency had abnormal neuroimaging findings, with thinning of the corpus callosum and prominence of extra-axial spaces being the most common. The odds of abnormal neuroimaging findings were higher in children below 12 months, in females, and in patients with developmental regression, but none of them were statistically significant.