Abstract: Objective To investigate the clinical features and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) finding of cerebral palsy in children with bilirubin-encephalopathy. Methods 35 cerebral palsied children with a history of bilirubin-encephalopathy were retrospectively studied. Results 27 cases appeared some early symptoms of the nervous system, including excessive crying without any reason, hypsokinesis, body torquing, opisthotonos, which usually were aggravated by respiratory infection, fever, diarrhea, etc. The marked neuromotor characteristics included the instability and asymmetry of muscle tension and posture, the remaining of some primitive reflexs. According to the Gross Motor Function Classification, there was 1 case with I grade, 3 with II, 4 with III, 5 with IV, and 22 with V (of which 15 cases were younger than 18 months）. 29 cases accepted MRI, and 25 cases appeared abnormal, of which 22 showed typically high T₂ signal in the bilateral globus pallidus. Conclusion The clinical and brain MRI findings of dyskinetic cerebral palsy associated with bilirubin-encephalopathy are characteristic and can be recognized easily.

Key words: dyskinesia, cerebral palsy, bilirubin-encephalopathy, kernicterus, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)