CHARACTERIZATION OF SUPERIOR SAGITTAL SINUS BLOOD-FLOW VELOCITY USINGCOLOR-FLOW DOPPLER IN NEONATES AND INFANTS

The objective of the investigation was to determine what effect intrac ranial pathology has on alterations of superior sagittal sinus blood f low, and to determine the role of color flow Doppler imaging of the su perior sagittal sinus in the diagnosis of intracranial pathology in th e neonate and infant. One hundred examinations were performed prospect ively in 96 patients. The velocity was determined with an angle correc tion at 30-60 degrees and was obtained with and without gentle transdu cer compression. Superior sagittal sinus thrombosis was identified in two patients by the absence of flow. Multiple t-tests for independent measures showed no clinically significant differences between flow vel ocities with regard to intracranial hemorrhage, ventriculomegaly, extr acorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy or prematurity. The authors co nclude that color flow Doppler can accurately diagnose superior sagitt al sinus thrombosis and may be used to screen high risk neonates such as those with thrombosis elsewhere or those treated with extracorporea l membrane oxygenation. No clinically significant associations were fo und between superior sagittal sinus flow velocity and any of the param eters evaluated in this study.