Neonatal intracranial hemorrhage. A clinical and serial computerized tomographic study.

Forty-six neonates with intracranial hemorrhage were classified into three groups on the basis of the major computerized tomography (CT) scan findings: Group I consisted of 24 cases of subarachnoid hemorrhage, Group II 20 cases of intracerebral and/or intraventricular hemorrhage, and Group III two cases of subdural hemorrhage. The initial scans in Group I showed blood in the interhemispheric fissure and the supratentorial recess. Sixty percent had an associated hypodensity in the frontal and/or parietal areas, thought to be an indication of ischemia. Changes in the configuration of the ventricular system were infrequent. Initial scans in Group II showed hematomas as follows: one in the brain stem, five in the basal ganglia, 10 in the temporal lobes, and 11 in the ventricles. In 70% of these cases, changes in the configuration of the ventricular system were seen, including compression of a lateral ventricle by mass effect, ventricular dilatation with blood, and obstructive hydrocephalus. Subarachnoid blood was an associated finding in 55% of cases, and focal and diffuse cerebral edema in 40%. Scans in both Group III patients initially showed a mass effect from a subdural clot. In all, 30 patients had one or more follow-up CT scans, and 13 of these were scanned at regular intervals. None of the Group I patients developed hydrocephalus, but 85% of Group II patients with intraventricular blood extending from an intracerebral hemorrhage had this complication. A seizure disorder occurred in 31% of Group I patients and 20% of Group II patients, where it was seen exclusively in those with an intralobar hematoma. A major motor disturbance occurred in 16% of patients; their Ct scans showed evidence of brain destruction involving enlargement of a lateral ventricle, porencephaly, or focal atrophy. Computerized tomography is a useful adjunct to the diagnosis, management, and follow-up study of neonatal intracranial hemorrhage, and correlates well with the clinical findings.