CT diagnosis of neonatal subarachnoid hemorrhage

A retrospective study of the CT data of the brain was carried out in 48 newborns with neonatal subarachnoid hemorrhage. In addition to the posterior interhemispheric opacities generally accepted as an index of this type of bleeding, anterior interhemispheric, paravermian, cisternal and supratentorial hyperdensities must also be taken into account. CT may be helpful in assessment of the amount of blood lost in the extraosseous epicranial tissues. This amount correlates with the severity of intracranial bleeding and may thus be an index of the degree of mechanical trauma. Major pitfalls leading to overdiagnosis are discussed.