OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study was to further investigate the thalamus L-sign in premature birth and white matter injury.
METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 246 brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans from preterm infants born before 37 weeks of gestation was conducted to explore the occurrence, characteristics, and associations of the thalamus L-sign with white matter injury.
RESULTS: The L-sign was detected in 12.6% of patients with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), primarily in severe cases (57.9% of severe PVL). All cases were associated with posterior parieto-occipital PVL. Four patients exhibited unilateral or asymmetric L-signs, which were linked to high-grade intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) or periventricular hemorrhagic infarction on the ipsilateral side, with the most severe white matter injury occurring on that side. No significant differences were observed regarding gestational age at birth, duration of neonatal intensive care unit hospitalization, percentage of IVH, hypoglycemia, or jaundice between patients with moderate-to-severe PVL with and without the thalamus L-sign.
CONCLUSIONS: The thalamus L-sign may serve as a marker for severe parieto-occipital PVL and may be exacerbated and appear asymmetric in cases of ipsilateral IVH or periventricular hemorrhagic infarction.
目的:本研究的主要目的是进一步研究早产和白质损伤的丘脑L征。
方法:对妊娠37周前出生的早产儿的246例脑磁共振成像(MRI)扫描进行回顾性分析,以探讨其发生情况。特点,以及丘脑L征与白质损伤的关联。
结果:在12.6%的脑室周围白质软化(PVL)患者中检测到L征,主要在严重病例(57.9%的严重PVL)。所有病例均与后顶枕PVL相关。四名患者表现出单侧或不对称的L征,与同侧高度脑室内出血(IVH)或脑室周围出血性梗死有关,最严重的白质损伤发生在那一边。出生时的胎龄没有显着差异,新生儿重症监护病房住院时间,IVH的百分比,低血糖,或有或没有丘脑L征的中度至重度PVL患者之间的黄疸。
结论:丘脑L征可能是严重顶枕骨PVL的标志,在同侧IVH或脑室周围出血性梗死的情况下可能会加剧并出现不对称。