Table 2 Classification of CU findings into significant or mild conspicuities, according to pathological neurodevelopmental sequelae
Cranial ultrasound | Neurodevelopmental outcome in the literature |
|---|---|
Significant conspicuities | |
Corpus callosum malformation | Mild behavioral problems to severe neurological disorders (e.g., autistic behavior), associated genetic syndromes, aneuploidies, malformations, inborn errors of metabolism [13,14,15] |
Bilateral/multiple cyst (2–5 bilateral and/or unilateral cysts (max. 0.3–1.5 cm)) | Congenital infection or genetic anomaly [16] |
IVH, II-IV° | Epileptic disorders, perceptual difficulties, cognitive deficiencies, mental handicaps [10, 16, 17] |
Hydrocephalus | Associated congenital brain anomalies, post-hemorrhagic, infection with neuromotor disorders, hearing loss, blindness, epilepsy [18, 19] |
Periventricular leukomalacia (> 5 cysts > 0.3 cm, along the corpus callosum) | Global delay in myelination correlated with cerebral palsy and cognitive/behavioral abnormalities [10, 20] |
Mild conspicuities | |
Ventricular asymmetry/enlargement (> 0.5 cm difference of vertical distance between sulcus thalamicus and corpus callosum in two sagittal views at the level of the plexus choroideus in the lateral ventricles) | Normal variants or variants associated with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, learning disorders [22,23,21] |
Unilateral/singular cyst | No screening necessary [16] |
Increasing echogenicity | Physiologic immaturity of myelination of preterm infants or associated with hemorrhages, edemas etc. (follow-up necessary) [19] |
IVH I° | No increase of conspicuous neurological impairment [18] |