Year: 2026 | Month: July | Volume: 16 | Issue: 7 | Pages: 208-219
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20260722
A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study of Role of MRI in Paediatric Epilepsy at Tertiary Care Center in Rural Population of North Maharashtra
Mayur J Dodani1, Kalpana Vavyhare2, Durgesh Jadhav3
1Jr III, Department of Radiodiagnosis, SMBT Institute of Medical Science and Research Center, Dhamangaon, Igatpuri, Nashik
2Associate Professor, Department of Radiodiagnosis, SMBT Institute of Medical Science and Research Center, Dhamangaon, Igatpuri, Nashik
3Assistant Professor, Department of Radiodiagnosis, SMBT Institute of Medical Science and Research Center, Dhamangaon, Igatpuri, Nashik
Corresponding Author: Mayur J Dodani
ABSTRACT
Background: Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders in children, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays a pivotal role in identifying underlying structural abnormalities and determining etiology.
Objectives: To evaluate the role of MRI in pediatric epilepsy and assess the association between MRI findings and clinical characteristics among children attending a tertiary care center in rural North Maharashtra.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care teaching hospital among 81 children (0– 15 years) diagnosed with epilepsy. Clinical and demographic details, seizure characteristics, developmental status, and etiological factors were recorded. All participants underwent brain MRI. MRI findings were analysed descriptively, and associations between clinical variables and MRI abnormalities were assessed using Chi-square test and binary logistic regression.
Results: Abnormal MRI findings were observed in 52 children (64.2%). Hypoxic ischemic injury was the most common lesion type (18.5%), followed by mesial temporal sclerosis (8.6%), infective lesions (7.4%), and malformations of cortical development (6.2%). Hypoxic etiology (23.5%) and developmental etiology (18.5%) were the leading identifiable causes of epilepsy. Significant associations were found between MRI abnormalities and seizure type (p<0.001), developmental delay (p<0.001), and etiology (p<0.001). All children with focal onset seizures demonstrated abnormal MRI findings.
Conclusions: MRI demonstrated a high diagnostic yield in pediatric epilepsy, particularly among children with focal seizures, developmental delay, and structural etiologies. MRI should be considered an essential component of the etiological evaluation of pediatric epilepsy, especially in rural populations where hypoxic and developmental brain injuries remain important contributors.
Key words: Pediatric epilepsy, Magnetic resonance imaging, Hypoxic ischemic injury, Developmental delay, Focal seizures, Rural population.