title: Low-grade intraventricular hemorrhage: is ultrasound good enough?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess diagnostic accuracy of cranial ultrasonography (CUS) in detecting low-grade (i.e. grade I and grade II) germinal matrix hemorrhage-intraventricular hemorrhage (GMH-IVH) in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Among VLBW infants who were admitted to Gaslini Children's Hospital neonatal intensive care unit between January and November 2012, patients who underwent both serial CUS since birth and magnetic resonance susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) at term-equivalent age were included in this retrospective study. Diagnostic accuracy of CUS in detecting low-grade GMH-IVH was assessed in terms of sensitivity and specificity by comparing it to SWI, which was used as the gold-standard technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty VLBW infants were included in the study. Sensitivity of CUS in detecting low-grade GMH-IVH was low (60%), whilst specificity was 100%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the present study, CUS sensitivity in detecting grade I-II GMH-IVH proved to be surprisingly low, in contrast with specificity. In other words, we suggest that low-grade GMH-IVH may be underdiagnosed in VLBW infants when assessed exclusively with CUS.
authors: a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and.
authors: Alessandro
authors: A
authors: Parodi
authors: b Pediatric Neuroradiology Unit , Istituto Giannina Gaslini , Genova , Italy.
authors: Giovanni
authors: G
authors: Morana
authors: b Pediatric Neuroradiology Unit , Istituto Giannina Gaslini , Genova , Italy.
authors: Maria S
authors: MS
authors: Severino
authors: a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and.
authors: Mariya
authors: M
authors: Malova
authors: a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and.
authors: Anna R
authors: AR
authors: Natalizia
authors: a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and.
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Sannia
authors: b Pediatric Neuroradiology Unit , Istituto Giannina Gaslini , Genova , Italy.
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Rossi
authors: a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and.
authors: Luca A
authors: LA
authors: Ramenghi
mesh_terms: D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000098:blood supply; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D020300:Intracranial Hemorrhages / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014463:Ultrasonography
keywords: Brain; IVH; MRI; SWI; germinal matrix hemorrhage; intraventricular hemorrhage; preterm; ultrasound