Basal ganglia and thalamic calcification following intrauterine intravascular transfusion.

In recent years intrauterine intravascular transfusion has become the method of choice for the treatment of severe fetal erythroblastosis. Despite the association of the procedure with fetal complications such as bradycardia and overtransfusion, later neonatal neurological consequences have been only rarely reported. A case is described of a neonate who underwent repeated intrauterine intravascular transfusion for treatment of erythroblastosis and who later developed calcification in the thalamus and the basal ganglia. The possible pathogenetic mechanisms are discussed.