title: Regional cortical development in very low birth weight infants with normal neurodevelopmental outcome assessed by 3D-ultrasound.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Three-dimensional ultrasound (3D-US) offers new perspectives in cerebral imaging.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective study aimed to determine whether 3D-US is appropriate to assess cortical development of the premature brain, and compare it to previously established reference values assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Preterm infants with a gestational age (GA) of <32 weeks were examined by serial 3D-US scans.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data of 30 patients with normal neurological development at the age of 5 years were included in the analysis. Cortical development was graded according to a five-point scoring system, and data were stratified into 6 age groups. Cortical developmental scores were established for various brain regions. In the frontal and frontoparietal regions, 3D-US reference values differed from published MRI reference values, but were consistent with the published data in all other regions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  3D-US reference values facilitate routine diagnostics and enable the evaluation of cortical development in preterm infants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Neonatology, Intensive Care and Neuropediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. katrin.klebermass-schrehof@meduniwien.ac.at
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Klebermass-Schrehof
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moerth
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vergesslich-Rothschild
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fuiko
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brandstetter
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jilma
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Haiden
mesh_terms: D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D014463:Ultrasonography