Ultrasound detection of white matter injury in very preterm neonates: practical implications.

AIM: Diffuse white matter injury is not well detected by cranial ultrasonography (CUS). The aim of this study was twofold: (1) to assess in very preterm neonates the predictive values of individual CUS abnormalities for white matter injury on MRI and neurological outcome; (2) to develop a strategy optimizing CUS detection of white matter injury.
METHOD: Very preterm neonates (n=67; 44 males, 23 females) underwent serial CUS and single MRI. Predictive values of CUS findings for a white matter classification on MRI, individual MRI findings, and neurological outcome at 2 years corrected age were calculated. The effects of timing and frequency of CUS were evaluated.
RESULTS: Periventricular echodensities (PVEs) predicted abnormal white matter on MRI, but absence of PVEs did not predict absence of white matter changes. Peri- and intraventricular haemorrhage (P/IVH) was highly predictive of abnormal white matter on MRI. Frequency and timing of CUS did not influence predictive values. P/IVH and abnormal ventricular size/shape were reasonably predictive of unfavourable outcome, whereas absence of CUS abnormalities predicted a favorable outcome.
INTERPRETATION: (1) If PVEs are present, there is a significant chance of abnormal white matter on MRI. (2) Increasing frequency of CUS does not increase its diagnostic performance for white matter injury. (3) P/IVH is highly predictive of abnormal white matter on MRI and reasonably predictive of unfavourable outcome. (4) Absence of PVEs and P/IVH on CUS does not guarantee normal white matter, but predicts a favourable outcome. © The Authors. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology