Primary thalamic haemorrhage in the newborn: a new clinical entity

4 healthy full-term babies presented between 11 and 14 days of age with neurological abnormalities. Eye signs in 3 suggested involvement of tracts closely related to the thalamus. Spontaneous intrathalamic haemorrhage was confirmed with computed tomography and real-time ultrasound scans. Ventricular dilatation occurred in 3 babies and 2 of these needed ventriculoperitoneal shunts. The short-term neurodevelopmental outcome was fairly good.