Abstract
Computed tomograms (CT) from 204 cases of premature and full term infants were studied. 1) In 70 infants of hyaline membrane disease, primary apnea and asymptomatic transient hypoglycemia and hypocalcemia, without any abnormal CT findings such as intracranial hemorrhage, periventricular lucency was found in 65 cases (93%) and a wide extracerebral space of the temporal lobes was found in 60 cases (86%) before 44 weeks of gestation. A wide interhemispheric fissure was found in 11 cases of extremely premature infants before term. Periventricular lucency and a wide extracerebral space of temporal lobes may not be the result of the intracranial pathological changes, but they may represent a stage of brain development. 2) In 204 cases, intracranial hemorrhage was found in 39 cases ; intra ventricular 14 cases, subependymal 2 cases, intracerebral 4 cases, subarachnoid 19 cases. CT was useful in evaluating the site and extent of hemorrhage. Among 14 cases of intraventricular hemorrhage, 9 cases with massive hemorrhage died and 2 cases had developmental retardation. Other intracranial pathologic changes included hydrocephalus (17 cases), arachnoid cyst (3 cases), and agenesis of corpus callosum (1 case).
Diffuse low density of the cerebral cortex was found in 8 cases. Two cases died and 5 cases had developmental retardation. Early ventricular dilatation was found in 19 cases, 2 with intravfouricular hemorrhage and 5 with diffuse low density of the cerebral cortex. Among them 11 cases had developmental retardation.
Neurological prognosis was poor in infants with massive intraventricular hemorrhage, diffuse low density of the cerebral cortex and early ventricular dilatation.
