Abnormal sagittal sinus blood flow in term infants following a perinatal hypoxic ischaemic insult

Ultrasound is a useful tool for the study of the superior sagittal sinus in neonates. The normal patterns of blood flow have been established, and the technique has been used to diagnose sagittal sinus thrombosis. This report describes the sonographic diagnosis of abnormally sluggish or absent sagittal sinus flow in two term infants. The first was a 2,320-g female infant with postnatal hypoxia. The second was a 5,000-g male infant who developed hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy after delivery complicated by shoulder dystocia. In both cases the normal pattern of blood flow in the superior sagittal sinus was re-established on follow-up ultrasonography.