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Value of sonography in the diagnosis of intracranial hemorrhage and periventricular leukomalacia: a postmortem study of 35 cases.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Carson, SC; Hertzberg, BS; Bowie, JD; Burger, PC
Published in: AJR Am J Roentgenol
September 1990

Periventricular leukomalacia and germinal matrix hemorrhages are major causes of neurodevelopmental abnormalities in the premature neonate. Although sonography is widely used to detect these abnormalities and is thought to be sensitive for hemorrhages and the later cystic stages of periventricular leukomalacia, its sensitivity for the more acute phase of periventricular leukomalacia remains to be determined. It has been difficult to study this issue because periventricular leukomalacia often is not lethal, and in postmortem studies there is usually a considerable interval between the time of in vivo imaging, if any, and the death of the patient. A "prospective" autopsy study was performed on brain specimens from infants who died at less than 1 year of age during a 10-month period. Thirty-five formalin-fixed brains were studied and sonographic images of these specimens were compared with histologic findings in whole brain sections to determine the sensitivity and specificity of sonography for the detection of germinal matrix hemorrhage and periventricular leukomalacia. Sonography identified germinal matrix hemorrhages as small as 5 mm, although smaller lesions were not visualized. Postmortem sonography had a sensitivity of 27% and specificity of 88% for all germinal matrix hemorrhages, but a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 91% for hemorrhages larger than 5 mm. Periventricular leukomalacia, seen as hyperechoic areas in the periventricular white matter, was not detected as readily. For periventricular leukomalacia, the overall sensitivity and specificity were 50% and 87%, respectively. We conclude that sonography is useful for detecting the larger germinal matrix hemorrhages, but has more limited sensitivity in the early diagnosis of periventricular leukomalacia.

Duke Scholars

Published In

AJR Am J Roentgenol

DOI

ISSN

0361-803X

Publication Date

September 1990

Volume

155

Issue

3

Start / End Page

595 / 601

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Ultrasonography
  • Prospective Studies
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
  • Leukomalacia, Periventricular
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Infant
  • Humans
  • Gliosis
  • Encephalomalacia
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Carson, S. C., Hertzberg, B. S., Bowie, J. D., & Burger, P. C. (1990). Value of sonography in the diagnosis of intracranial hemorrhage and periventricular leukomalacia: a postmortem study of 35 cases. AJR Am J Roentgenol, 155(3), 595–601. https://doi.org/10.2214/ajr.155.3.2117361
Carson, S. C., B. S. Hertzberg, J. D. Bowie, and P. C. Burger. “Value of sonography in the diagnosis of intracranial hemorrhage and periventricular leukomalacia: a postmortem study of 35 cases.AJR Am J Roentgenol 155, no. 3 (September 1990): 595–601. https://doi.org/10.2214/ajr.155.3.2117361.
Carson SC, Hertzberg BS, Bowie JD, Burger PC. Value of sonography in the diagnosis of intracranial hemorrhage and periventricular leukomalacia: a postmortem study of 35 cases. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1990 Sep;155(3):595–601.
Carson, S. C., et al. “Value of sonography in the diagnosis of intracranial hemorrhage and periventricular leukomalacia: a postmortem study of 35 cases.AJR Am J Roentgenol, vol. 155, no. 3, Sept. 1990, pp. 595–601. Pubmed, doi:10.2214/ajr.155.3.2117361.
Carson SC, Hertzberg BS, Bowie JD, Burger PC. Value of sonography in the diagnosis of intracranial hemorrhage and periventricular leukomalacia: a postmortem study of 35 cases. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1990 Sep;155(3):595–601.

Published In

AJR Am J Roentgenol

DOI

ISSN

0361-803X

Publication Date

September 1990

Volume

155

Issue

3

Start / End Page

595 / 601

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Ultrasonography
  • Prospective Studies
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
  • Leukomalacia, Periventricular
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Infant
  • Humans
  • Gliosis
  • Encephalomalacia