Periventricular haemorrhagic infarct in a preterm neonate

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed on an infant born, at 28 weeks gestational age who suffered a sudden episode of bradycardia and desaturation on the 3rd day of life. Imaging demonstrated bilateral germinal layer haemorrhage and intraventricular haemorrhage, with parenchymal involvement in a fan-shaped pattern in the periventricular white matter on the left. These appearances are consistent with a combination of intravascular thrombi and perivascular haemorrhage along the course of the medullary veins. We believe that this is the first report of the MRI appearance of an acute periventricular haemorrhagic infarct associated with a germinal layer haemorrhage/intraventricular haemorrhage in a preterm neonate.