Accuracy of ultrasound in assessing cerebellar haemorrhages in very low birthweight babies

Abstract

Routine use of MF allows a better detection of limited CBH when compared with AF. Overall sensitivity of CUS in detecting CBH is low when microhaemorrhages are included. In other words, microhaemorrhages proved to be undetectable by CUS.

Should early cranial MRI of preterm infants become routine?

“…This in agreement with the second paper by Parodi and colleagues, comparing sequential cUS, using the anterior and mastoid window, with SWI-MRI 9. As has previously been shown by others, small cerebellar lesions (<5 mm) are seldom identified using cUS 10.…”

Incidental findings on routine brain MRI scans in preterm infants

“…Indeed, as premature infants are known to be at high risk for acquired brain lesions, none of these findings (including intraventricular haemorrhage, white matter lesions, cerebellar haemorrhage) were considered unexpected in our work, even those minor forms of haemorrhage detected exclusively by susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI), an MR sequence known to be highly sensitive to paramagnetic effects from blood degradation by-products 16 17. Among the remaining MRI findings, only those not suspected antenatally, nor detected by cranial ultrasound, nor suspected clinically before MRI were selected and classified as IF.…”

Progress in Neonatal Neurology with a Focus on Neuroimaging in the Preterm Infant

“…Smaller (punctate) hemorrhages in the cerebellum are far more common but can only be diagnosed with MRI. 23,24 Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) further improves the recognition of small punctate cerebellar lesions (►Fig. 3).…”

“…3). 23,25 Focal unilateral lesions occurring in the cerebellar hemisphere may originate in the external granular layer, covering the surface of the cerebellum, whereas the less common vermian hemorrhages may originate in residual GMH of the ventricular zone in the roof of the fourth ventricle. CBHs vary from a single to multiple punctate lesions present throughout both cerebellar hemispheres, a single larger hemorrhage in one cerebellar hemisphere, or large bilateral CBH.…”