[Prenatal intracranial hemorrhagie--diagnosis and follow-up].
OBJECTIVE
We present a case of difficult prenatal diagnosis and follow-up of severe fetal intracranial hemorrhage. With an analysis of the available literature that is related to this topic, we would like to bring attention to the necessity of accurate evaluation of fetal brain morphology even during routine ultrasound examination in the late third trimester.


METHODS
Case report.


METHODS
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, General Faculty Hospital and 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague.


RESULTS
Four cases of prenatal intracranial hemorrhage are presented. All cases were diagnosed during ultrasound examination during the third trimester of pregnancy and the findings were clarified using nuclear magnetic resonance imaging. The etiology of the hemorrhage was determined in only two cases. Postnatal follow-up of the affected children over a range of one to two years of age shows a very severe prognosis of the described hemorrhagic conditions.


CONCLUSIONS
Prenatally diagnosed fetal intracranial hemorrhage is a rare but severe complication in pregnancy associated with fetal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. A detailed description and precise image documentation of the damaged fetal structures have a fundamental forensic significance. Postnatal estimation of the time of hemorrhage using analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid and ultrasound findings (echogenicity of the lesions) is not always unified.
Gynekologicko-porodnická klinika VFN a 1. LF UK, Praha. zzizka@lf1.cuni.cz
Z
Z
Zizka
A
A
Malkovská
L
L
Hrazdírová
A
A
Pasková
D
D
Sebron
T
T
Fait
L
L
Haaková
P
P
Calda
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D020300:Intracranial Hemorrhages / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal