PEDIATRICS Vol. 85 No. 3 March 1990, pp. 400-404
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow P3Rs: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when P3Rs are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Bennett, F. C.
Right arrow Articles by Mack, L. A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Bennett, F. C.
Right arrow Articles by Mack, L. A.

Periventricular Echodensities Detected by Cranial Ultrasonography: Usefulness in Predicting Neurodevelopmental Outcome in Low-Birth-Weight, Preterm Infants

Forrest C. Bennett MD1, Gail Silver MD1, Edna J. Leung MD1, and Laurence A. Mack MD1

1 From the Department of Pediatrics, Child Development and Mental Retardation Center, University of Washington, Seattle

Forty-eight low-birth-weight, preterm graduates of the University of Washington's neonatal intensive care unit who had received periodic, serial scanning by means of cranial ultrasonography during the first 4 to 6 weeks of life were longitudinally observed in an interdisciplinary neurodevelopmental follow-up program to a mean corrected age of 18 months. Mean birth weight for the sample was 1286 g; mean gestational age was 29 weeks. Periventricular echodensities were graded from 0 to 3, with 0 indicating no densities and 3 indicating cystic formation. Intracranial hemorrhage was graded in the conventional manner from 0 to IV. Neurodevelopmental outcome was assessed by means of a neurologic examination and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. To synthesize the results, neurodevelopmental outcome for each subject was classified as normal, demonstrating minor abnormalities, or demonstrating major abnormalities. Multiple statistical analyses with various subgroupings of subjects consistently indicated severe intracranial hemorrhage (grades III and/or IV) to be a better predictor of overall neurodevelopmental outcome than grade of periventricular echodensity, including small cysts. These results suggest a wide range of outcomes after detection of periventricular echodensities and caution against communicating overly pessimistic prognoses in many cases.

Key Words: periventricular leukomalacia • intracranial hemorrhage • cranial ultrasonography • low birth weight • prematurity