Periventricular leukomalacia complex. Clinical and pathologic correlates.
In 1979, the appearance of the periventricular leukomalacia complex (PLC) was reported in a relatively high percent of infants coming to autopsy from our neonatal intensive care unit. Because infants with PLC had had longer periods of high P02 than did those without PLC, it was concluded that PLC was related to hyperoxia. However, in a second study it was found that the periods of hyperoxia corresponded to periods of hypotension. Therefore, the complete autopsies of 16 randomly selected newborn subjects with PLC and 21 without PLC were reviewed with particular reference to the incidence  of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a lesion thought to be due to high levels of oxygen in inspired air. The incidence of BPD in newborn subjects with PLC was essentially the same as in those without PLC (7/16 or 44% vs 9/21 or 43%). Moreover, three newborn subjects with PLC and none without PLC showed renal tubular necrosis, a lesion usually associated with severe hypotension. This suggests that PLC is related to hypotension rather than to hyperoxia.
D001997:Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles; D004678:Encephalomalacia / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007022:Hypotension / Q000150:complications; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood
D010100:Oxygen