All term newborns admitted with NE to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) from a tertiary center between 2011-2017, and displaying the following set of distinctive brain MRI features: (i) extensive cortical and subcortical hyperintense T2 signal by day of life 4 (DOL4), and/or (ii) cortical and subcortical cystic cavitation by DOL12. Clinical and laboratory findings - including placental pathological data - were reviewed.

Seven patients presented the MRI features, namely bilateral extensive cortical and subcortical high signal intensity on T2 between DOL1 to 4 followed by cystic encephalomalacia detected between DOL9 to 12. All patients presented with moderate to severe NE, and intractable epilepsy starting within 48 hours of life. All patients presented placental anomalies, including acute chorioamnionitis, acute chorionitis and fetal thrombotic vasculopathy. All patients had a severe adverse outcome characterized by spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, global developmental delay and secondary microcephaly.