[Postasphyxia cerebral changes in the newborn infant. The significance of tomographic hypodensity]

The CT findings in 37 asphyctic newborns are presented, particularly concerning the hypodense lesions. 11 out of 27 term infants and 4 out of 10 preterm neonates had 2 or 3 serial scans, the last when they were 2-5 months old. In most of cases a long run normalization of former periventricular hypodensity has been observed, with normal clinical follow-up, 6 cases (2 preterm and 4 term neonates) had cortical hypodensity too: 2 of these revealed afterwards atrophy and hydrocephalus, 2 ventricular asymmetry and slight cortical spaces enlargement; in 1 case the cortical parietal hypodensity, formerly showed, was confirmed; 1 case finally was normal at three month scan. The relevance of the cortical hypodensity in most serious brain damage is underlined; the hypodensity of the white matter, on the contrary, could mean wether a postasphyctic lighter, reversible brain damage, or the physiologic postnatal condition, such a still unfilled myelinization.