title: Unilateral thalamic lesions in premature infants: risk factors and short-term prognosis.
abstract: The aim of the study was to assess incidence, risk factors, clinical symptomatology and short-term outcome of unilateral thalamic lesions in preterm infants, as detected by ultrasound. Sixteen preterm infants, born after a gestational age of less than 35 weeks, with a unilateral thalamic lesion, but without additional significant cerebral lesions, were included. Their follow-up data were compared to those of a selected control group consisting of healthy premature infants. In addition, the neonatal clinical data of the patients with a thalamic lesion were compared to data of the healthy control group and of a general control group, consisting of a non-selected year-cohort of preterm infants. During the study period, the incidence of unilateral thalamic lesions was 5.3% among preterm infants. Ultrasound was not able to distinguish between hemorrhagic and ischemic lesions. The infants with a unilateral thalamic lesion had a more complicated respiratory course and were ventilated significantly longer than infants without such a lesion. The infants with a thalamic lesion had disturbances in tone, persisting throughout infancy, while the healthy control group showed only transient disturbances in tone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Free University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: van Wezel-Meijler
authors.forename: T Z
authors.initials: TZ
authors.lastname: Hummel
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oosting
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: de Groot
authors.forename: L T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Sie
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huisman
authors.forename: H N
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Lafeber
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: van der Knaap
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004453:Echoencephalography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013786:Thalamic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality