OUTCOME OF CHILDREN WITH NEONATAL CYSTIC PERIVENTRICULAR LEUKOMALACIA- PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF SOME EARLY AND LATE NEUROSONOGRAPHIC FINDINGS

This article reports the neurodevelopmental outcome of 15 children wit h evidence of cystic periventricular leukomalacia on noenatal neuroson ography. Ten infants developed severe cerebral palsy (tetraplegia), 2 developed mild cerebral palsy (paraplegia with autonomy in deambulatio n) and 3 had normal motor outcome. The developmental or intelligence q uotient was greater than or equal to 80 in 6 children and less than or equal to 70 in 9 children. The prognostic value of early and late neu rosonographic findings was evaluated. Within early sonographic finding s, multifocal involvement of the periventricular white matter was asso ciated with a more serious outcome (severe cerebral palsy and mental r etardation); parietal dislocation of the cysts was associated with sev ere cerebral palsy, whereas cysts located in frontal or occipital regi ons were associated with a better outcome. Within late nuerosonographi c findings, ventricular dilation and interemispheric scissure less tha n or equal to 5 mm, even if in the presence of ventricular dilation, w as associated with normal mental outcome in 2 children with mild cereb ral palsy. An interemispheric scissure less than or equal to 5 mm sugg ests that the subcortical fibers have been spared and, therefore, is a ssociated with a more satisfactory mental outcome.