The value of ultrasound in the diagnosis of brain damage in preterm infants
Abstract
Cranial ultrasonography (US) is a reliable tool to detect the most frequently occurring congenital and acquired brain abnormalities in preterm neonates. Appropriate equipment, including a dedicated ultrasound machine and appropriately sized transducers with special settings for cranial US of the newborn brain, and ample experience of the ultrasonographist are required to obtain optimal image quality. When, in addition, supplemental acoustic windows are used whenever indicated, and cranial US imaging is performed from admission throughout the neonatal period, the majority of the lesions will be diagnosed, and information on timing and evolution of brain injury as well as on ongoing brain maturation will be obtained. For exact determination of site and extent of lesions, for detection of lesions that (largely or partially) remain beyond the scope of cranial US and for depiction of myelination, a single, well-timed MRI examination is invaluable in many high-risk neonates. However, as cranial US allows serial bedside imaging it should be used as the primary brain imaging modality in high-risk neonates.
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References
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