Comparison of neuroimaging findings in infants with bacterial meningitis based on prognosis
| Acute phase (within 1 week) (n=45) | Postacute phase (≥1 week) (n=57) | ||||||||
| N (%) | Sequelae (n=9) | No sequelae (n=36) | P | N (%) | Sequelae (n=28) | No sequelae (n=29) | P value | ||
| Meningeal thickening | 21 (20.5) | 5 (11.1) | 4 | 1 | 0.004 | 16 (28.1) | 9 | 7 | 0.55 |
| Echogenic sulci | 30 (29.4) | 11 (24.4) | 6 | 5 | 0.003 | 19 (33.3) | 11 | 8 | 0.03 |
| White matter hyperechogenicity* | 50 (49.0) | 20 (44.4) | 5 | 15 | 0.48 | 30 (52.6) | 20 | 10 | 0.02 |
| Abnormal basal segments† | 31 (30.4) | 7 (15.6) | 3 | 4 | 0.13 | 24 (42.1) | 14 | 10 | 0.29 |
| Malacia lesion | 11 (10.8) | 2 (0.4) | 2 | 0 | 0.04 | 9 (15.8) | 8 | 1 | <0.001 |
| Ventriculitis‡ | 37 (36.3) | 8 (1.8) | 4 | 4 | 0.04 | 29 (50.9) | 16 | 13 | 0.03 |
| Intraventricular haemorrhage | 39 (38.2) | 13 (28.9) | 7 | 6 | 0.001 | 26 (45.6) | 13 | 13 | 0.99 |
| Ventricular dilation | 41 (40.2) | 7 (15.6) | 5 | 2 | 0.002 | 34 (59.6) | 19 | 15 | 0.28 |
| Extra-axial fluid space enlargement | 18 (17.6) | 5 (11.1) | 1 | 4 | 0.99 | 13 (22.8) | 8 | 5 | 0.01 |
| Infants with cranial ultrasound abnormalities | 84 (82.4) | 33 (73.3) | 9 | 24 | 0.09 | 51 (89.5) | 28 | 23 | 0.02 |
*Including increased or heterogeneous white matter echogenicity.
†Basal segment size reduction, extensive elevated echogenicity, focal elevated echogenicity, heterogeneous echogenicity or local vascularisation.
‡Increased ventricular lining echogenicity, cerebrospinal fluid hyperechogenicity in the ventricles, echogenic debris within the ventricular cavity or dilation and hyperechogenicity of the choroid plexuses.