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Periventricular leukomalacia - Overview

Alternative Names

PVL; Brain injury - infants

Definition of Periventricular leukomalacia:

Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is a type of brain injury that affects infants. The condition involves the death of small areas of brain tissue around fluid-filled areas called ventricles. The damage creates "holes" in the brain. "Leuko" refers to the brain's white matter and "peri" refers to the ventricles.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

PVL is much more common in premature infants than in full-term infants.

A major cause is thought to be changes in blood flow to the area around the ventricles of the brain. This area is fragile and prone to injury, especially before 32 weeks of gestation.

Infection around the time of delivery may also play a role in causing PVL. The more premature your baby is and the sicker your baby is, the higher the risk for PVL.

Premature babies who have intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) are also at increased risk for developing this condition.

Reviewed last on: 12/17/2009
Kimberly G Lee, MD, MSc, IBCLC, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Volpe JJ. Neurology of the Newborn. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2008; chap 8.

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