title: Cerebellar haemorrhages and pons development in extremely low birth weight infants.
abstract: Neuropathological and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) studies showed a high frequency of posterior fossa abnormalities in preterms. To assess whether cerebellar haemorrhages (CH) diagnosed with ultrasound and/or MRI affect pons development in ELBW infants. The anteroposterior diameter of the pons was measured manually on the midline sagittal T1 MR image in 75 ELBW babies consecutively scanned at term postmenstrual age. Subjects with CH were identified and compared to babies with no posterior fossa bleeding. Nine ELBW infants with CH (CH-Group: median gestational age -GA- 26 wks, range 23-27; birth weight -BW- 680 g, 425-980) were compared with 66 babies with normal cerebellum (Control-Group: GA 28 wks, 23-33; BW 815 g, 430-1000). The two groups were comparable for BW (p=0.088) while GA was significantly shorter in CH babies (p=0.005). The pontine diameter was significantly lower in CH-Group compared to Control-Group (12.8 +/- 2.2 vs 14.8 +/- 1.2 mm; p<0.001).
  
  
  
  Cerebellar haemorrhages seem to affect the development of the pons in ELBW with the youngest GA.
authors.affiliation: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Mangiagalli e Regina Elena, Milan, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fumagalli
authors.forename: Luca Antonio
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Ramenghi
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Righini
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Groppo
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bassi
authors.forename: Agnese
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Carli
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Parazzini
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Triulzi
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mosca
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002508:Cephalometry; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D052577:Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight / Q000254:growth & development*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D020300:Intracranial Hemorrhages / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D011149:Pons / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development*; D014463:Ultrasonography