title: Fetal trauma: brain imaging in four neonates.
abstract: The purpose of this paper is to describe brain pathology in neonates after major traffic trauma in utero during the third trimester. Our patient cohort consisted of four neonates born by emergency cesarean section after car accident in the third trimester of pregnancy. The median gestational age ( n=4) was 36 weeks (range: 30-38). Immediate post-natal and follow-up brain imaging consisted of cranial ultrasound ( n=4), computed tomography (CT) ( n=1) and post-mortem magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) ( n=1). Pathology findings were correlated with the imaging findings ( n=3). Cranial ultrasound demonstrated a huge subarachnoidal hemorrhage ( n=1), subdural hematoma ( n=1), brain edema with inversion of the diastolic flow ( n=1) and severe ischemic changes ( n=1). In one case, CT demonstrated the presence and extension of the subarachnoidal hemorrhage, a parietal fracture and a limited intraventricular hemorrhage. Cerebellar hemorrhage and a small cerebral frontal contusion were seen on post-mortem MRI in a child with a major subarachnoidal hemorrhage on ultrasound. None of these four children survived (three children died within 2 days and one child died after 1 month). Blunt abdominal trauma during pregnancy can cause fetal cranial injury. In our cases, skull fracture, intracranial hemorrhage and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy were encountered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospitals, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. luc.breysem@uz.kuleuven.ac.be
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Breysem
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cossey
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mussen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Demaerel
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Van de Voorde
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smet
mesh_terms: D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000328:Adult; D001238:Asphyxia Neonatorum / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000196:embryology / Q000473:pathology; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000196:embryology* / Q000473:pathology; D020202:Cerebral Hemorrhage, Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000196:embryology / Q000473:pathology; D002585:Cesarean Section; D004453:Echoencephalography; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D020925:Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000196:embryology / Q000473:pathology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007969:Leukomalacia, Periventricular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000196:embryology / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000196:embryology / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D049188:Prenatal Injuries; D011379:Prognosis; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000196:embryology / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000196:embryology* / Q000473:pathology