Incidence of brain lesions in moderate-late preterm infants assessed by cranial ultrasound and MRI: The BIMP-study
Vivian Boswinkel, Martine F. Krüse-Ruijter, Jacqueline Nijboer - Oosterveld, Ingrid M. Nijholt, Mireille A. Edens, Susanne M. Mulder - de Tollenaer, Mei-Nga Smit - Wu, Martijn F. Boomsma, Linda S. de Vries, Gerda Meijler
Abstract
PURPOSE: To evaluate the incidence and characteristics of brain lesions in moderate-late preterm (MLPT) infants, born at 32-36 weeks' gestation using cranial ultrasound (cUS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS: weeks' gestation. At TEA, MRI was also performed. Several brain lesions were assessed e.g. hemorrhages, white matter and deep gray matter injury. Brain maturation was visually evaluated. Lesions were classified as mild or moderate-severe. Incidences and confidence intervals were calculated. RESULTS: 166 MLPT infants were included of whom 127 underwent MRI. One or more mild lesions were present in 119/166 (71.7 %) and moderate-severe lesions in 6/166 (3.6 %) infants on cUS and/or MRI. The most frequent lesions were signs suggestive of white matter injury: inhomogeneous echogenicity in 50/164 infants (30.5 %) at early-cUS, in 12/148 infants (8.1 %) at TEA-cUS and diffuse white matter signal changes (MRI) in 27/127 (23.5 %) infants. Cerebellar hemorrhage (MRI) was observed in 16/127 infants (12.6 %). Delayed maturation (MRI) was seen in 17/117 (13.4 %) infants. Small hemorrhages and punctate white matter lesions were more frequently detected on MRI than on cUS. CONCLUSIONS: In MLPT infants mild brain lesions were frequently encountered, especially signs suggestive of white matter injury and small hemorrhages. Moderate-severe lesions were less frequently seen.