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Published on: January 27, 2023
Decrease in the Internal Cerebral Vein Pulsation With Improvement of Patent Ductus Arteriosus in Premature Infants at
Kenichi Tanaka1, Shirou Matsumoto2, Narumi Yoneda1
1Pediatrics, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, JPN.
Insights
Augmented internal cerebral vein (ICV) pulsation in premature infants may predict intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). Treatment of hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (hs-PDA) with indomethacin improved ICV pulsation, suggesting a link between heart failure and IVH risk.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal physiology
- Cardiovascular medicine
- Neurology
Background:
- Augmented internal cerebral vein (ICV) pulsation is a potential predictor of premature intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH).
- Elevated central venous pressure is indicated by venous pulsation, which may be treatable through interventions for heart failure.
Observation:
- Two low-birth-weight infants (29 and 31 weeks gestational age) initially showed flat ICV flow patterns.
- ICV pulsation increased with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) progression and elevated brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels.
- Indomethacin administration for hemodynamically significant PDA (hs-PDA) led to improved ICV pulsation and decreased BNP levels.
Findings:
- A direct association was observed between hs-PDA, elevated central venous pressure, and increased ICV pulsation.
- Indomethacin effectively reduced ICV pulsation exacerbated by heart failure secondary to hs-PDA.
- The study highlights the potential impact of managing hs-PDA on ICV pulsation in premature neonates.
Implications:
- Managing heart failure in premature infants may help mitigate augmented ICV pulsation.
- These findings suggest a potential therapeutic strategy for preventing IVH by addressing hs-PDA.
- Further research is warranted to confirm the relationship between hs-PDA treatment and reduced IVH risk.
Abstract:
Recently, augmenting the pulsation of the internal cerebral vein (ICV) has been reported to be a predictor of premature intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH); however, prophylaxis for IVH has not yet been established. Venous pulsation is a marker of central venous pressure elevation and may be improved after heart failure treatment. Herein, we report two cases of low-birth-weight infants (29 weeks and 31 weeks of gestational age), who exhibited improvements in ICV pulsation with relief of hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (hs-PDA) following indomethacin administration. ICV flow patterns were continuously flat early after birth. Thereafter, both patients demonstrated ICV pulsation augmentation with PDA progression and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) elevation at 52 h and 39 h after birth (in infants born at 29 and 31 weeks of gestational age, respectively). After relieving PDA with indomethacin administration, both infants exhibited an improvement in ICV pulsation with decreased BNP levels. In both cases, ICV pulsation increased when PDA became hemodynamically significant with BNP elevation, and the pulsation improved by reduction in ductal flow with decreasing BNP when PDA was relieved by indomethacin administration. The association between hs-PDA and elevated ICV pulsation indicates that hs-PDA likely leads to heightened central venous pressure. Additionally, indomethacin treatment was effective in reducing the exacerbated ICV pulsation caused by heart failure due to hs-PDA. These cases suggest that treatment for heart failure might improve the augmented ICV pulsation, which is related to the development of premature IVH. However, further studies are needed to confirm this association.
