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Updated: Apr 16, 2026
Mouse Models of Periventricular Leukomalacia
Published on: May 18, 2010
Clinical study of cerebral palsy in 408 children with periventricular leukomalacia
Qing Shang1, Cai-Yun Ma1, Nan Lv1
1Children's Hospital of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, Henan 450053, P.R. China.
Insights
Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is strongly linked to premature birth and low birth weight, often leading to cerebral palsy (CP) subtypes like quadriplegia. Common comorbidities include visual and auditory impairments, epilepsy, and developmental delays.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pediatrics
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is a significant cause of neurological impairment in infants.
- Understanding risk factors and outcomes is crucial for early intervention and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the high-risk factors associated with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL).
- To determine the subtypes of cerebral palsy (CP) and common comorbidities in children with PVL.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional clinical study and retrospective analysis of imaging data (CT and MRI) were performed.
- Data from 408 children with PVL treated at a specialist hospital were evaluated.
Main Results:
- High-risk factors, including perinatal infections and hypoxia, were present in 95.59% of cases.
- Severe PVL was prevalent in preterm (<28 weeks) and low-birth weight infants, with quadriplegia (43.90%) being a common CP subtype.
- Visual and auditory disorders (26.96%), epilepsy, and cognitive impairments were the most frequent comorbidities, particularly with quadriplegia.
Conclusions:
- PVL is predominantly identified in premature and low-birth weight infants, with PVL severity inversely correlated with gestational age and birth weight.
- In full-term infants, PVL severity correlates with perinatal infections or hypoxia.
- Quadriplegia and sensory impairments are significant outcomes associated with PVL.
Abstract:
This study aimed to investigate the high risk factors, cerebral palsy (CP) subtypes and comorbidities of periventricular leukomalacia (PVL). Based on treatment conditions at a specialist hospital, a cross-sectional clinical study and retrospective analysis of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging examinations was conducted to evaluate the risk factors, subtypes and comorbidities of CP in children with PVL. Among the 408 children with PVL, 8.58% were born with a weight of ≤1,500 g and 44.36% were born with a weight of ≥2,500 g. In addition, 36.76% of these children had a gestational age of ≤32 weeks and 37.75% had a gestational age of ≥37 weeks. The proportion of the children born with various high risk factors was 95.59%, including perinatal infections and hypoxia. Severe PVL was observed in preterm infants (63.41% with a gestational age of <28 weeks and 21.95% with a gestational age of 28-30 weeks) and low-birth weight infants, which were prone to quadriplegia (43.90%). The common comorbidities included visual and auditory disorders, epilepsy, mental retardation and language barriers. Visual and auditory disorders (26.96%) were the most common comorbidities. PVL was identified primarily in premature and low-birth weight infants. The degree of PVL was found to be negatively correlated with gestational age and birth weight. The degree of PVL in the full-term infants correlated with exposure to infections or hypoxia. Quadriplegia is common among the various subtypes of CP. Visual and hearing disorders are the most common comorbidities of CP; these comorbidities occurred most frequently with quadriplegia.
