TRANSIENT BIFRONTAL SOLITARY PERIVENTRICULAR CYSTS IN TERM NEONATES

We describe three children born at term investigated for neonatal seiz ures or transient apnoea. Cranial ultrasound and MRI unexpectedly reve aled symmetrical periventricular cysts adjacent to the anterior horns. We found no evidence of prenatal viral infection, intraventricular or subependymal haemorrhage or hypoxic-ischaemic lesions. The lesions we re not seen on MRI at 3 months of age, but there was no compensatory d ilatation of the anterior horns nor secondary loss of white matter. Th e appearance and location of these transient cysts were different from those of the cystic changes which typically follow germinal matrix ha emorrhage or periventricular leukomalacia. Their pathogenesis and clin ical significance remain to be determined.