Adequacy of an In-Neonatal Intensive Care Unit 1T Magnetic Resonance Imaging Compared With 3T Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Clinical Management

Background: This retrospective study aims to assess the added diagnostic utility and clinical value of a 3-Tesla neonatal brain magnetic resonance imaging after obtaining a 1-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging within the neonatal intensive care unit.

Methods: A cohort of 34 infants had an initial 1-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging and repeat imaging within 14 days in a 3-Tesla scanner. All infants were admitted to the level III neonatal intensive care unit at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and all images were interpreted by pediatric neuroradiologists.

Results: For 31 infants (91%), the 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging showed similar or expected evolution of known findings found on 1 Tesla. For infants with change between the 1-Tesla and 3-Tesla imaging results, there was no clinical impact.

Conclusion: Images from 1-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging were sufficient for characterizing a wide range of neonatal brain injuries and abnormalities and repeated 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging did not yield further clinical benefit.