Electroencephalographic Aspects of Periventricular Hemorrhagic Infarction in Preterm Infants

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate electroencephalographic aspects of periventricular hemorrhagic infarction (PVHI) in preterm infants. The subjects were 11 preterm infants with PVHI, who were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Anjo Kosei Hospital from April 1985 through December 1997. The patients underwent serial cranial ultrasonography and were diagnosed as having PVHI. An EEG was recorded at least once within 1 week after PVHI and then recorded at 1- to 4-week intervals until 40 weeks of postconceptional age. The EEG findings were classified into acute and chronic stage abnormalities. Acute stage EEG abnormalities were seen in 5 infants after PVHI, which were symmetrical in all infants. Among them, 3 infants died during the early neonatal period. The infants who had a higher grade of acute stage EEG abnormalities showed significantly higher mortality. Among the surviving 8 infants, chronic stage EEG abnormalities were seen in 3 predominantly in the ipsilateral side of PVHI, and all of them developed hemiplegia. The sensitivity and specificity of chronic stage EEG abnormalities to predict outcome were 0.75 and 1.0, respectively. Acute and chronic stage EEG abnormalities give valuable information for short-term and long-term outcome in preterm infants with PVHI.

Key words

Electroencephalogram - preterm infant - periventricular hemorrhagic infarction

References

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