Rare neonatal intracerebral hemorrhage. Two cases in full-term infants.

Intracranial hemorrhage in neonates is often found in either the subependymal area or the subdural space. The former is observed particularly in premature infants and is attributable to damage of the germinal matrix layer. The latter usually occurs in the vicinity of the falx and tentorium cerebri of full-term neonates and is thought to be caused by birth injury. Two cases of intracerebral hemorrhage in full-term newborn babies are reported. In both the hematoma was located at the left frontal area under the coronal suture. Angiograms revealed no causative signs, such as arteriovenous malformation, aneurysm or angioma. Observations on CT scans and during surgery led to the conclusion that the hemorrhages were caused by the moulding which forced the frontal bone to slip under the parietal bone at the coronal suture and then press on the fragile cerebral vasculature of the neonates, thus causing contusion.