Cranial Doppler resistance index measurement in preterm newborns with cerebral white matter lesion.

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether the resistance index (RI) within the first 72 hours of life of newborn infants with cerebral white matter lesion (WML) is correlated with the adverse outcome of WML. METHODS Retrospective study. Newborn infants with WML were identified based on cranial ultrasound results, and those with Doppler imaging and RI measurement were selected. The newborn infants were placed in three groups: low (< 0.61), normal (0.61-0.85) or high (> 0.85) RI. The sample was analyzed as a whole at first and then stratified according to birth weight. RESULTS According to the RI, cerebral blood flow was abnormal in 46 (68.7%) patients, low in 42 (62.7%), and high in four (6%). Among those with a low RI, 15 (35.7%) had an adverse outcome, with ultrasonographic signs of cerebral atrophy in 10 (23.8%) and intraventricular hemorrhage in five (11.9%) patients. The four newborn infants with a high RI also had an adverse outcome, one (25%) with signs of cerebral atrophy and three (75%) with intraventricular hemorrhage. No statistically significant differences were observed between RI groups and the group with a fatal outcome. CONCLUSION The study showed that abnormal RI within the first 72 hours was associated with healing complications in newborn infants with cerebral WML. Abnormal RI results were not correlated with the fatal outcome. Therefore, RI is an important parameter that should be measured in newborn infants.