The subject of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is hardly new and yet remains an every day challenge to clinicians, mainly neonatologists and child neurologists. However, technological advances in neuroimaging do help in the diagnosis, but prevention of hypoxic-ischemic insults, ability to change the course of the disease, and treatment of the devastating consequences of HIE are lagging behind. With these issues in mind, we reviewed the literature on this subject and our own clinical experience in search of new developments in this area. The pathology and clinicopathologic correlates of HIE are emphasized as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]