Brain imaging findings in very preterm infants throughout the neonatal period: part I. Incidences and evolution of lesions, comparison between ultrasound and MRI.
This study describes the incidence and evolution of brain imaging findings in very preterm infants (GA<32 weeks), assessed with sequential cranial ultrasound (cUS) throughout the neonatal period and MRI around term age. The accuracy of both tools is compared for findings obtained around term. Periventricular echodensities and intraventricular haemorrhage were the most frequent cUS findings during admission. Frequent findings on both cUS and MRI around term included ventricular dilatation, widened extracerebral spaces, and decreased cortical complexity. MRI additionally showed punctate white matter lesions and diffuse and excessive high signal intensity, but did not depict lenticulostriate vasculopathy and calcifications, and was less reliable for germinolytic and plexus cysts. cUS detected most abnormalities that have been associated with abnormal neurodevelopmental outcome.
Leijser
Lara M
LM
Department of Paediatrics, Division of Neonatology, J6-S, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands. L.M.Leijser@lumc.nl
de Bruïne
Francisca T
FT
Steggerda
Sylke J
SJ
van der Grond
Jeroen
J
Walther
Frans J
FJ
van Wezel-Meijler
Gerda
G
D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014463:Ultrasonography