Effects of Posthemorrhagic Ventricular Dilatation in the Preterm Infant on Brain Volumes and White Matter Diffusion Variables at Term-Equivalent Age

Objective To evaluate the differential impact of germinal matrix-intraventricular hemorrhage (GMH-IVH) and posthemorrhagic ventricular dilatation (PHVD) on brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volumes and diffusion variables in preterm born infants at term-equivalent age (TEA). Study design Nineteen infants (gestational age Results PHVD was independently associated with volumes of deep gray matter (β [95% CI]: −1.4 cc [−2.3; −.5]), cerebellum (−2.7 cc [−3.8; −1.6]), ventricles (+12.7 cc [7.9; 17.4]), and extracerebral CSF (−11.2 cc [−19.2; −3.3]), and with ADC values in occipital, parieto-occipital, and parietal white matter (β: +.066-.119×10 −3  mm 2 /s) on TEA-MRI ( P Conclusions PHVD was negatively related to deep gray matter and cerebellar volumes and positively to white matter ADC values on TEA-MRI, despite early intervention for PHVD in the majority of the infants. These relationships were not observed for GMH-IVH.