• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• 제66권3호
• /
• pp.239-246
• /
• 2023

Germinal matrix and intraventricular hemorrhage (GM-IVH) are the major causes of intracranial hemorrhage in premature infants. Cranial ultrasound (cUS) is the imaging modality of choice for diagnosing and classifying GM-IVH. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), usually performed at term-equivalent age, is more sensitive than cUS in identifying hemorrhage in the brain. Post-hemorrhagic ventricular dilatation is a significant complication of GM-IVH and correlates with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. In this review, we discuss the various imaging findings of GM-IVH in premature infants, focusing on the role of cUS and MRI.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• 제66권3호
• /
• pp.258-262
• /
• 2023

Germinal matrix-intraventricular hemorrhage (GM-IVH) is among the devastating neurological complications with mortality and neurodevelopmental disability rates ranging from 14.7% to 44.7% in preterm infants. The medical techniques have improved throughout the years, as the morbidity-free survival rate of very-low-birth-weight infants has increased; however, the neonatal and long-term morbidity rates have not significantly improved. To this date, there is no strong evidence on pharmacological management on GM-IVH, due to the limitation of well-designed randomized controlled studies. However, recombinant human erythropoietin administration in preterm infants seems to be the only effective pharmacological management in limited situations. Hence, further high-quality collaborative research studies are warranted in the future to ensure better outcomes among preterm infants with GM-IVH.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• 제56권4호
• /
• pp.334-337
• /
• 2014

Objective : The purpose of this study is to identify the risk factors associated with the development of germinal matrix-intraventricular hemorrhage (GM-IVH) and the relationship of the severity of disease and prematurity. Methods : A total of 168 premature neonates whose birth weight ${\leq}1500g$ or gestational age ${\leq}34$ weeks were examined by cranial ultrasound (CUS) for detection of GM-IVH among the babies admitted between January 2011 and December 2012 in our medical center neonatal intensive care unit. The babies were divided into two groups : GM-IVH and non-IVH. Clinical presentations, precipitating factors of the patients and maternal factors were analyzed. Results : In univariate analysis, gestational age, birth weight, delivery method, presence of premature rupture of membrane (PROM) and level of sodium and glucose were statistically meaningful factors (p<0.05). But only two factors, gestational age and presence of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) were statistically meaningful in multivariate logistic regression (p<0.05). Delivery method [normal vaginal delivery (NVD) to Caeserean section] was borderline significant (p<0.10). Conclusion : Presence of PDA and gestational age were the important risk factors associated with development of GM-IVH.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• 제66권3호
• /
• pp.298-307
• /
• 2023

Remarkable advances in neonatal care have significantly improved the survival of extremely low birth weight infants in recent years. However, intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) continues to be a major complication in preterm infants, leading to a high incidence of cerebral palsy and cognitive impairment. IVH is primarily caused by disruption of the fragile vascular network of the subependymal germinal matrix, and subsequent ventricular dilatation adversely affects the developing infant brain. Based on recent research, periventricular white matter injury is caused not only by ischemia and morphological distortion due to ventricular dilatation but also by free iron and inflammatory cytokines derived from hematoma and its lysates. The current guidelines for the treatment of posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus (PHH) in preterm infants do not provide strong recommendations, but initiating treatment intervention based on ultrasound measurement values before the appearance of clinical symptoms of PHH has been proposed. Moreover, in the past decade, therapeutic interventions that actively remove hematomas and lysates have been introduced. The era is moving beyond cerebrospinal fluid shunt toward therapeutic goals aimed at improving neurodevelopmental outcomes.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• 제47권2호
• /
• pp.89-94
• /
• 2010

Objective : To evaluate the role of cranial sonography and computed tomography in the diagnosis of neonatal intracranial hemorrhage and hypoxic-ischemic injury in an Indian set-up. Methods : The study included 100 neonates who underwent cranial sonography and computed tomography (CT) in the first month of life for suspected intracranial ischemia and hemorrhage. Two observers rated the images for possible intracranial lesions and a kappa statistic for interobserver agreement was calculated. Results : There was no significant difference in the kappa values of CT and ultrasonography (USG) for the diagnosis of germinal matrix hemorrhage/intraventricular hemorrhage (GMH/IVH) and periventricular leucomalacia (PVL) and both showed good interobserver agreement. USG, however detected more cases of GMH/IVH (24 cases) and PVL (19) cases than CT (22 cases and 16 cases of IVH and PVL, respectively). CT had significantly better interobserver agreement for the diagnosis of hypoxic ischemic injury (HII) in term infants and also detected more cases (33) as compared to USG (18). CT also detected 6 cases of extraaxial hemorrhages as compared to 1 detected by USG. Conclusion : USG is better modality for imaging preterm neonates with suspected IVH or PVL. However, USG is unreliable in the imaging of term newborns with suspected HII where CT or magnetic resonance image scan is a better modality.

• Neonatal Medicine
• /
• 제25권1호
• /
• pp.1-6
• /
• 2018

Extremely low birth weight infants remain at increased risk of intraventricular hemorrhage from the fragile vascular bed of the germinal matrix; the roles of hypotension (ischemia) and reperfusion (hyperemia) in the development of intraventricular hemorrhage are still debated. Cerebrovascular pressure autoregulation protects the brain by maintaining constant cerebral blood flow despite changes in blood pressure. The ontogeny of cerebrovascular pressure autoregulation has not been well established and uncertainty remains about the optimal arterial blood pressure required to support brain perfusion. Another important aspect of premature cerebral hemodynamics is the critical closing pressure--the arterial blood pressure at which cerebral blood flow ceases. Interestingly, in premature infants, the critical closing pressure approximates the mean arterial blood pressure. Often in this unique population, cerebral blood flow occurs only during systole when the diastolic arterial blood pressure is equal to the critical closing pressure. Moreover, the diastolic closing margin, a metric of cerebral perfusion that normalizes diastolic arterial blood pressure to the critical closing pressure, may be a better measure than arterial blood pressure for defining cerebral perfusion in premature infants. Elevated diastolic closing margin has been associated with intraventricular hemorrhage. This review summarizes the current state of understanding of cerebral hemodynamics in premature infants.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
• /
• 제15권4호
• /
• pp.199-207
• /
• 2003

신생아의 정상적인 발달을 저해하고 조기 사망의 주된 원인이 되고 있는 주산기 뇌손상에 관한 신경병리적 기전을 살펴보고자 하였다. 발달하고 있는 과정에서의 주산기 뇌손상은 주로 저산소성-허혈성 뇌손상과 출혈성 뇌손상에 의한 경우가 많다. 저산소성-허혈성 뇌손상과 관련하여 에너지 부전, 세포흥분독성, 미성숙 백질의 선택적 취약성을 고려해 볼 수 있다. 첫번째, 세포호흡에 관여하는 미토콘드리아의 손상과 관련하여 즉각적인 병리와 함께 지연된 양상의 손상을 보인다. 미토콘드리아의 호흡률이 감소하고 칼슘이온의 농도가 상승하여 세포 괴사 및 세포사멸 과정이 진행된다. 두번째, 흥분성 아미노산과 관련하여 미성숙한 뇌에는 NMDA 수용기-채널 복합체의 기능이 매우 풍부하고, phosphoinositide 가수분해가 높아서 흥분독성에 상당히 취약하다. 세 번째, 수초 형성에 중요한 역할을 하는 희돌기교세포가 주산기 뇌손상 특히, 저산소성-허혈성 손상에 취약하다. 희돌기교세포는 글루타메이트에 의한 자유유리기과 사이토카인 손상에 취약하다. 뇌출혈과 관련하여, 미성숙한 뇌는 뇌실 주위에 혈관층이 풍부하나 매우 약한 상태로 재관류 혹은 혈류의 증가로 인해 쉽게 파열된다. 특히 32주 이내인 경우 이러한 손상으로 인해 뇌실주위 백질연화증이 초래된다.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• /
• 제12권2호
• /
• pp.170-177
• /
• 2008

목적 : 순차적인 뇌초음파 검사 후 신생아 중환자실을 퇴원하는 고위험 환아에서 시행한 자기 공명 영상의 유용성을 알아보고자 하였다. 대상 및 방법 : 총 121명의 신생아에서 시행한 412 초음파와 121 자기공명 영상을 후향적으로 분석하여 초음파 검사에서 발견된 뇌병변과 자기 공명영상에서 발견된 병변을 비교하였다. 뇌병변은 배아기질 출혈 및 뇌실 내 출혈, 그 밖의 여러 출혈과 뇌실질 손상을 중심으로 비교 분석하였다. 결과 : 총 242개의 측뇌실 중 30뇌실의 배아기질 출혈 (GMH)을 초음파로 진단하였고 자기공명영상으로 7개의 GMH를 추가로 진단할 수 있었으며 46개 뇌실의 출혈 (IVH)을 추가로 진단하였다. 출혈의 1/2/3/4 등급은 초음파에서 각각 24/8/13/0 뇌실에서 진단하였고 자기공명영상에서 3/49/10/2 뇌실에서 진단하였다. 그 외에 자기공명영상에서 대뇌 출혈 (4예), 소뇌 출혈(4예), 경막하 및 지주막하 출혈 (8예), 미만성 백질 신호강도 변화 (72예), 조직손실이 없는 작은 실질 병변 (4예), 뇌연화증 (2예), 그리고 뇌실확장 (5예)이 추가로 발견되었다. 결론 : 자기공명영상은 초음파 검사 후 두개강내 출혈과 뇌실질 손상을 추가적으로 진단하는 유용한 검사였으며 특히 뇌실 출혈과 백질 손상의 진단에 우수한 반면 배아기질 출혈은 초음파 추적검사가 더 유용할 것으로 생각한다.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• 제57권2호
• /
• pp.75-78
• /
• 2014

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the clinical features of macrocephaly at birth in Korea using ultrasonography. Methods: We retrospectively investigated the medical records of full-term birth neonates in Cheil General Hospital & Women's Healthcare Center from January 2000 to June 2012. The following parameters were recorded and analyzed: gestational age, sex, birth weight, height, occipitofrontal circumference (OFC), physical examination, perinatal problems, and ultrasonography results. Macrocephaly was diagnosed when the OFC was greater than two standard deviations, based on the 2007 Korean National Growth Charts. Results: There were 75 neonates with macrocephaly at birth (52 boys and 23 girls), with a mean OFC of $38.1{\pm}0.49cm$. A comparison of the birth weight and height with the OFC value showed that height was correlated with OFC (r=0.35) but birth weight was not correlated with OFC (r=0.06). There were no remarkable findings in 56 cases (75%). Germinal matrix hemorrhage was identified in 10 cases (13%). An enlarged cerebrospinal fluid space was found in 5 cases (6.7%). There were 3 cases of mega-cisterna magna (4%), 1 case of ventriculomegaly, and 1 case of an enlarged interhemispheric space (6 mm) among these patients. In addition, a choroid plexus cyst was seen in 1 case. Mineralizing vasculopathy in both basal ganglia with no evidence of congenital infection was found in 2 cases and an asymptomatic subarachnoid hemorrhage was found in 1 case. Conclusion: Our results indicate that macrocephaly at birth has benign ultrasonography findings and shows a pattern of male dominance.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• 제30권sup2호
• /
• pp.364-367
• /
• 2001

A 4-month-old female patient admitted because of hydrocephalus. She was premature infant with germinal matrix hemorrhage at gestational period 27 wks. A ventriculoperitoneal shunt with a low-pressure type valve was placed. Follow-up CT scan obtained 3 months after VP shunt placement, revealed a new Lt. middle cranial fossa cyst. The girl was readmitted to hospital at 7 months after VP shunt placement, complaining of lethargy and vomiting. A CT scan was demonstrated a increase in size of a cyst, She subsequently underwent a left-sided pterional craniotomy with partial excision of membrane and cyst fenestration into the basal cisterns. Follow-up CT scan after 18 months revealed reaccumulation of cyst, the girl was reoperated on. After 2 months, the size of cyst was not decreased. Finally, She underwent a cystoperitoneal shunt. Follow-up CT scan after 5 months was demonstrated disappeared cyst and reexpansion of brain parenchyma. We report the development of a symptomatic sylvian fissure arachnoid cyst developed after ventriculoperitoneal shunt.