Cranial Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings in Kwashiorkor

Protein energy malnutrition (PEM) is an important public health problem in the developing countries, although it is becoming uncommon in South West Nigeria. Cerebral changes have been associated with severe PEM. This study evaluated the neurological changes using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in Ibadan south west Nigeria. The 5 children evaluated had a median age of 16 months and all the children had brain changes compatible with cerebral atrophy. In addition two of the children had periventricular white matter changes, while one these two had mega cisterna magna in addition. Though this study did not re-evaluate the brains of these children after nutritional rehabilitation, it is possible that changes are reversible as demonstrated in earlier studies.