Neonatal purulent meningitis (20 cases) of the 401 autopsied cases in the neonatal period were examined pathologically. Postmortem cerebral microangiography and Benzidin stain were done in 5 of those cases.1. In the cases of purulent meningitis, vasculitis, thrombosis and subarachnoid bleeding were found in the meninx, and cerebral edema, periventricular leukomalacia, ventriculitis and ependymitis were found in the cerebrum.2. The histo l ogical findings in the periventricular white matter and matrix, and the localization of the degeneration of nerve cells in the grey matter were similar to those caused by anoxic changes.3. The histological and microangiographical observations showed the feature of the cerebral circulatory disturbance, such as vasculitis and thrombosis in the meninx, and venous stasis, vascular tortuosity and unfilling blood vessels with contrast media in the cerebrum and meninx.4. The periventricular leukomalacia occured often in the neona tal purulent meningitis. The development of periventricular leukomalacia in the neonatal meningitis might be concerned to perinatal abnormalities, pulmonary complications or cerebral circulatory disturbance. The cerebral circulatory disturbance and edema might promote the local cerebral hypoxic state in the periventricular regions.
