Hemodynamics of the posterior cerebral arteries in neonates with periventricular leukomalacia

✍ Scribed by Sumio Fukuda; Satomi Kuwabara; Mari Yasuda; Keisuke Mizuno; Takenori Kato; Takahiro Sugiura; Mohamed Hamed Hussein; Ineko Kato; Shinji Fujimoto; Hisanori Sobajima; Hajime Togari

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2005
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 118 KB
• Volume: 33
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0091-2751
• DOI: 10.1002/jcu.20082

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cerebral blood flow of the posterior cerebral arteries (PCAs) in neonates in relation to the onset of periventricular leukomalacia (PVL).

Methods

Among 57 low‐birth‐weight neonates studied, 7 were diagnosed with PVL with cyst formation on sonography and MRI. The mean cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV) was measured in all the neonates by Doppler sonography through the posterior fontanel separately in the right and left PCA at days 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 14, 21, 28, 42, 56, and 70 following birth.

Results

In the 7 neonates with PVL the mean CBFV in the right PCA was significantly lower than that in neonates without PVL at days 10, 14, 21, 28, 42, 56, and 70; the mean CBFV in the left PCA of neonates with PVL was significantly lower than that in those without PVL at days 7, 10, 14, 21, 28, 42, 56, and 70. CBFV measured in neonates without PVL exhibited a gradual increase postnatally. In contrast, CBFV values for neonates with PVL plateaued after day 5 or 7.

Conclusions

The serial measurement of PCA CBFV postnatally may prove useful as a predictor of the development of PVL. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 33:24–28, 2005