Hemorrhagic brain injury in premature infants: pathogenesis and ultrasound diagnostics

• Yuliya K. Bykova
• Lyubov’ V. Ushakova
• Elena A. Filippova
• Anna B. Sugak
• Anna R. Kirtbaya
• Konstantin V. Vatolin
• Iwan A. Suvorov
• Dzhenneta Yu. Suvorova

Abstract

Hemorrhagic brain damage is the leading cause of adverse neurological consequences. It develops significantly more often in premature infants than in full-term infants. Ultrasound examination of the brain is widely used as a method of neuroimaging in newborns for the detection of hemorrhages in the germinal matrix, intraventricular hemorrhages, periventricular hemorrhagic infarction, posthemorrhagic dilation of the ventricles, hemorrhage in the cerebellum and cystic forms of ischemic white matter damage. The ultrasound picture of the brain damage depends on the hemorrhage localization and volume. The timing of the US study plays a pivotal role in interpreting the scan data. The article presents data about the pathogenesis and ultrasound characteristics of hemorrhagic brain lesions in premature infants, and various classifications of intraventricular hemorrhages.

Keywords:hemorrhagic brain injury; ultrasound diagnostics; deeply premature newborns

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