[Relationship between the grading of periventricular echodensities and periventricular white matter cystic lesions in preterm infants].

OBJECTIVE

To understand the relationship of the grading of periventricular echodensities (PVE) with the morbidity and the occurrence time of periventricular white matter cystic lesions in preterm infants.

METHODS

A retrospective, single-centre cohort study of 120 preterm infants with PVE diagnosed by ultrasonography between February 2005 and May 2008 was performed. The infants had a median gestational age of 32 weeks and a median birth weight of 2 230 g.

RESULTS

Fifty-two infants (43%) were diagnosed as having PVE I, 42 infants (35%) having PVE II, and 26 infants (22%) having PVE III. The grading of PVE was closely related to birth weight, but not with gestational age. The total morbidity of periventricular white matter cystic lesions was 24% (29/120). The morbidity of the cystic lesions in PVE III patients (65%) was significantly higher than that in PVE II patients (21%) (<0.01). The PVE III patients developed the cystic lesions earlier than the PVE II patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The grading of PVE is closely related to the morbidity and the occurrence time of periventricular white matter cystic lesions in preterm infants.