AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of study is to evaluate brain magnetic resonance imaging findings in children with cerebral palsy and to correlate it with type of cerebral pals with gross motor functional classification system (GMFCS) of cerebral palsy.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: 75 children diagnosed as cerebral palsy in the age group 2–18 years attending Pediatrics, Orthopedics and Physiotherapy OPD and admitted in the inpatient unit of Pediatrics, Orthopedics wards at a Tertiary Care Center were included in the study. The children were then examined in detail and classified according to the clinical type and by age appropriate GMFCS. Magnetic resonance imaging brain was done with GE 1.5 Tesla 16 channel HDXT version 23.0. GE MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING MACHINE and images were read with help from a single qualified staff of Department of Radiology.

RESULTS: 67 out of 75 children with cerebral palsy had abnormal MRI. Commonest type of cerebral palsy in the study group was spastic diplegia followed by quadriplegia, hemiplegia and dystonia. Commonest area of brain involvement was periventricular white matter followed by cerebral cortex, ventricles and corpus callosum. Commonest MRI findings were periventricular leukomalacia followed by cystic degeneration, infarct and cortical atrophy. The difference in the proportion of MRI abnormality across GMFCS levels was statistically insignificant as indicated by p–value of 0.589. Furthermore, MRI findings correlated well with clinical diagnosis of cerebral palsy.