Postnatal cystic germinolysis and neonatal chronic lung disease: evaluation of risk factors and neurodevelopmental outcome

Late neonatal onset of subependymal germinolysis in the caudothalamic groov e has been associated with chronic lung disease. This clinical study had tw o objectives: (i) to clarify the link between chronic lung disease and germ inolysis; and (ii) to evaluate the impact of germinolysis on neuromotor dev elopment of patients with chronic lung disease. Twenty-four patients with c hronic lung disease and germinolysis were compared to 24 patients, matched for gestational age, with chronic lung disease but without germinolysis. Th ere was no difference in the occurrence of perinatal risk factors for impai red cerebral development (small for gestational age at birth, impaired post natal growth, postnatal steroid treatment, duration of mechanical ventilati on) or in the presence of clinical markers potentially related to cerebral ischaemia (need for treatment of hypotension or poor perfusion, seizures, o liguria, hypocapnia). Both groups showed a high incidence of clinically sig nificant developmental delay (mean Bayley Development Index of 72 +/- 23 [S D] in both groups), regardless of the presence or absence of germinolysis. Conclusions: We were unable to clarify the link between chronic lung diseas e and germinolysis, and it seems that germinolysis has no major impact on n eurodevelopmental outcome of patients with chronic lung disease.