Correlation between cerebrovascular maturity and periventricular leukomalacia

This study disclosed the close correlation between the characteristic devel opmental change of human cerebral vessels and the occurrence of periventric ular leukomalacia (PVL), as judged by anticollagen type 6 immunohistochemic al analysis. The earlier appearance of collagen type 6-positive vessels in the deep white matter supports the concept that the medullary vein, a termi nal branch of the internal cerebral vein, develops earlier than the cortica l and subcortical veins and the perforating artery because the latter was n ot stained in early gestation. In cases with an old lesion of PVL the distr ibution of the lesions with abnormal vessels differed with gestation age. T hese results suggest that its distribution correlates with the development of perforating medullary arteries. Thus a discrepancy between the arteries, revealing slow maturation, and veins, revealing early maturation, in the d eep white matter may be an important predisposing factor for PVL. Furthermo re, the widespread lesions of PVL may be closely related to the involvement of transcortical tract damage, in terms of specific motor or intellectual disabilities. (C) 2000 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.