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Lenticulostriate Vasculopathy and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Preterm Infants: A Systematic Review
Abby Robinson1, John Flibotte2,3, Summer L Kaplan4
1Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Insights
This systematic review found conflicting evidence on neurodevelopmental outcomes for preterm infants with lenticulostriate vasculopathy (LSV). More research is needed to understand the implications of LSV for these vulnerable infants.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal neurology
- Developmental pediatrics
Background:
- Lenticulostriate vasculopathy (LSV) is a finding on cranial ultrasound in preterm infants.
- Neurodevelopmental outcomes in this population are not well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review neurodevelopmental outcomes at 12 months' corrected age or later in preterm infants (< 32 weeks) diagnosed with LSV.
- To assess the current evidence regarding the impact of LSV on neurodevelopment.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of published studies.
- Inclusion criteria: preterm infants (< 32 weeks) with LSV, neurodevelopmental outcomes at ≥12 months corrected age.
- Data extraction on neurodevelopmental assessments.
Main Results:
- Only 3 studies met eligibility criteria, including 44 preterm infants with LSV.
- Reported neurodevelopmental outcomes were mixed, with some studies indicating mental or motor impairments, and others reporting mild to moderate developmental delay.
- Conflicting and inconclusive findings across the included studies.
Conclusions:
- Current evidence on neurodevelopmental implications of LSV in preterm infants is limited and conflicting.
- There is insufficient data to reliably counsel parents about potential outcomes.
- Further high-quality research is necessary to clarify the neurodevelopmental trajectory of preterm infants with LSV.
Abstract:
Objective The objective of this study was to perform a systematic review of all studies that report neurodevelopmental outcomes at 12 months' corrected age or later for preterm infants (< 32 weeks) who are diagnosed with lenticulostriate vasculopathy (LSV) on cranial ultrasound. Study Design This is a systematic review. Results We identified 501 unique publications of which 3 met all prespecified eligibility criteria. Neurodevelopmental outcome data were available for 44 preterm infants with LSV. There were mixed results from the studies: the first reported impairments of mental development; the second reported impairments of motor development only; and finally, the third reported that three of three preterm infants with LSV had mild or moderate developmental delay. Conclusion The available results raise some concern for future impairments in preterm infants with LSV, but they are conflicting and inconclusive. There is insufficient evidence about the neurodevelopmental implications of LSV in preterm infants to inform counseling of parents.
