Prenatally diagnosed fetal brain injuries with known antenatal etiologies.

Abstract

Periventricular leukomalacia of pre- or postnatal onset is responsible for severe neurological and intellectual impairment and cerebral palsy later in life. The etiology is multifactorial, involving hypoxic-ischemic insults of various origin. The disorder is characterized by multiple necrotic foci of the white matter found most frequently adjacent to the lateral ventricles. In the past, intrapartum factors were thought to be the major cause of neonatal brain damage, but recent investigations highlighted the role of antenatal risk factors. We present 4 cases of antenatally diagnosed brain injury with known and unusual etiology.