Neonatal herpes simplex virus infections in Switzerland: results of a 6-year national prospective surveillance study.

A large variation in neonatal herpes incidence is observed in USA and Europe. Better knowledge of neonatal herpes epidemiology is important to inform local prevention strategies. Between 2002 and 2008, the Swiss Paediatric Surveillance Unit reported prospectively proven neonatal herpes simplex virus infections.

Perfusion abnormalities in hemimegalencephaly.

Introduction: Cerebrovascular changes are rarely discussed in patients with hemimegalencephaly. These alterations have previously been associated with epileptical activity.

Case: We report the case of a 36-week gestation neonate presenting with total right hemimegalencephaly, as demonstrated by a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed in the first days of life.

Method for performing cerebral perfusion-weighted MRI in neonates.

Cerebral perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI) in neonates is known to be technically difficult and there are very few published studies on its use in preterm infants. In this paper, we describe one convenient method to perform PWI in neonates, a method only recently used in newborns. A device was used to manually inject gadolinium contrast material intravenously in an easy, quick and reproducible way.

Perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging patterns of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in term neonates.

Purpose: To determine whether an early magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study using perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI) may define the pattern of brain injury in term neonatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) encephalopathy.

Materials And Methods: Five newborns with HI encephalopathy or a marker of perinatal depression, and 2 controls underwent an early MRI (at 2 to 4 days), including PWI. Relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF) values were measured.

Temporal evolution of MR perfusion in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.

Purpose: To illustrate the evolution of brain perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (PWI-MRI) in severe neonatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) encephalopathy, and its possible relation to further neurodevelopmental outcome.

Materials And Methods: Two term neonates with HI encephalopathy underwent an early and a late MRI, including PWI. They were followed until eight months of age.