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Periventricular band of increased echogenicity: edema or calcification?
1Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8, Canada.
Pediatric Radiology
|April 16, 1998
Insights
Periventricular band (PVB) echogenicity on infant cranial sonography can mimic calcification but may represent edema. This finding is crucial as PVB due to edema is previously unreported.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal neuroimaging
- Pediatric radiology
- Infant brain development
Background:
- Cranial sonography is a primary tool for evaluating infant brain abnormalities.
- Periventricular echogenicity can indicate various pathologies, including calcification.
- Accurate differentiation of echogenicity causes is vital for diagnosis.
Observation:
- Two infants presented with a similar periventricular band (PVB) of increased echogenicity on cranial sonography.
- Computed tomography (CT) revealed the underlying cause differed between the infants.
- One PVB was due to edema, while the other was due to calcification.
Findings:
- A periventricular band (PVB) of increased echogenicity on sonography can be caused by edema.
- This sonographic appearance of edema has not been previously reported.
- The sonographic findings of edema and calcification in the PVB were indistinguishable.
Implications:
- Sonographic differentiation between PVB edema and calcification is challenging.
- CT is essential to confirm the etiology of echogenic PVB in infants.
- This highlights the need for careful interpretation of cranial sonography in neonates.
Abstract:
This paper illustrates the cases of two infants with an identical appearance of a periventricular band (PVB) of increased echogenicity on cranial sonography, shown on CT to be due to edema in one and calcification in the other. Such a PVB due to edema has not been reported previously, and its similarity to calcification on sonography is emphasized.