Cerebral blood flow changes associated with fetal intracranial hemorrhages.
BACKGROUND AND MATERIAL: In order to evaluate cerebral blood flow changes associated with fetal intracranial hemorrhages, ultrasound and MRI examinations were carried out in four pregnancies with this complication.


RESULTS
Increased resistance indices of the blood flow profile of the middle cerebral artery were detected in three of the fetuses, two of them presenting retrograde diastolic flow. Flow became normalized in one case within four weeks, changing on the contralateral side to an increased diastolic flow pattern.


CONCLUSIONS
Increased intracranial pressure can cause these flow changes, but cerebral blood flow autoregulation need not be completely ruined in this complication.
Kirkinen
P
P
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Kuopio, Finland.
Ordén
M R
MR
Partanen
K
K
D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000196:embryology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D013355:Subdural Space / Q000098:blood supply; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal