Original scientific paper
Changes of the Corpus Callosum in Children who Suffered Perinatal Injury of the Periventricular Crossroads of Pathways
Vesna Benjak
Marko Čuljat
Maja Pavlović
Mirna Kostović-Srzentić
Abstract
There is a high incidence of periventricular leukomalacia, caused by hypoxia-ischemia, in preterm infants. These lesions
damage the periventricular crossroads of commissural, projection and associative pathways, which are in a close
topographical relationship with the lateral ventricles. We explored to what extent abnormalities of echogenicity of the
periventricular crossroads correlate with changes in size of the corpus callosum. Our study included nine infants (gestation
from 26–41 weeks; birth weight between 938–4450 grams) with perinatal brain injury. Periventricular areas, which
topographically correspond to the frontal, main and occipital crossroad, were readily visualized by cranial ultrasound
scans, performed during the first two weeks after birth. Corpus callosum mediosagittal area measurements were performed
using magnetic resonance images, acquired between the first and sixth postnatal month (postmenstrual age
40–49 weeks). We found a statistically significant correlation between the increased echogenicity in the crossroad areas
and the decrease of the corpus callosum midsagittal area (p<0.05). This supports the hypothesis that callosal fibers can
be damaged, during growth through the periventricular crossroads of pathways.
Keywords
human; development; magnetic resonance; ultrasound
Hrčak ID:
24549
URI
Publication date:
13.5.2008.
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