1. ¹Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL, USA
2. ²Section of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago Children's Hospital, Chicago, IL, USA
3. ³University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, WI, USA
4. ⁴Department of Medical Imaging, Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL, USA
5. ⁵Section of Pediatric Radiology, Department of Radiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

Correspondence: Robert Mittendorf, MD, DrPH, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Loyola University Medical Center, 2160 South First Avenue, Maywood, IL 60153, USA

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether there is an unconfounded association between neonatal intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and lenticulostriate vasculopathy (LSV (also known as thalamostriate or mineralizing vasculopathy)).

STUDY DESIGN: During the conduct of the Magnesium and Neurologic Endpoints Trial (MagNET), a randomized controlled trial involving maternal, hence fetal, exposure to antenatal magnesium sulfate in the context of preterm labor, head ultrasounds were obtained for each of the surviving neonates. Because of our previous experience in the diagnosis of LSV, when ascertaining the presence of IVH, as called for by the research protocol of our study, the presence or absence of LSV was also determined.

RESULTS: We found LSV to be relatively prevalent (10% (14 of 140) among surviving babies). More importantly, it was significantly associated with the occurrence of neonatal IVH, even when controlled for possible confounding (adjusted OR 9.8, 95% confidence interval 1.3 to 73.1; p=0.03).

CONCLUSION: Given the known relationships between IVH and neonatal morbidity and mortality, the finding of a statistically significant association between neonatal IVH and LSV may suggest more substantial implications for the latter than previously believed.