Transcranial ultrasound as a diagnostic tool for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in preterm neonates: A cross-sectional study

TL;DR

Transcranial ultrasound is shown to be an effective and accessible tool for diagnosing hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in preterm neonates.

Contribution

The study demonstrates the diagnostic accuracy of transcranial ultrasound for HIE in preterm neonates.

Findings

Transcranial ultrasound showed strong correlations with severe SARNAT stages in preterm neonates with HIE.

Combined ultrasound parameters achieved 85.7% sensitivity and 82.4% specificity for HIE diagnosis.

Abstract

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in preterm neonates, necessitating early and
accurate diagnosis. Therefore, it is of interest to evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of transcranial ultrasound (TUS) in 168 preterm
neonates with clinical features of HIE. Significant ultrasound findings-such as intraventricular hemorrhage, ventriculomegaly,
multicystic leukomalacia and abnormal Doppler indices-showed strong correlations with severe SARNAT stages. The combined
parameters demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy, with a sensitivity of 85.7% and specificity of 82.4%. TUS proves to be an effective,
accessible tool for early detection and prognostication of HIE in preterm neonates.