Correlation between increased serum malondialdehyde and spectrum of cranial ultrasonography findings in hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy: could it be used as a predictor of disease severity?

Background Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in neonates. Malondialdehyde (MDH) is a colorless lipid that can be used as a marker for oxidative stress. Cranial ultrasound sensitivity and specificity in detection of neonatal HIE ought to be further investigated. This study aims to detect whether serum (MDH) can be used as an indicator for HIE severity and to assess the role of cranial ultrasound in diagnosis of HIE neurological disorders, correlating ultrasound findings to MDA levels. Results Statistically significant differences were found between the serum MDA levels in patients compared to controls as well as among serum MDA in patients with advancing Sarnat stages (I, II, III) P value < 0.001. Statistically significant levels of serum MDA were found in patients with ischemic US findings compared to those with normal scan; 36.4% of cases with ischemic US findings were diagnosed as Sarnat stage II while 63.6% were diagnosed with stage III with a statistically significant difference (P = 0.016). Conclusion Cranial ultrasound can be used for diagnosis of neonatal hypoxic ischemic insults, with lower sensitivity in mild cases and increased sensitivity in severe cases; and when combined with measuring serum MDA levels, it can be used as a diagnostic marker and as a predictor for severity of HIE.