[Sonographic position and functional diagnosis of ventricular positioned shunt systems in infants with hydrocephalus].

By cranial sonography through the open fontanelles of infants with hydrocephalus a diagnosis of position and function of ventricular shunts is possible. A malposition of the ventricular catheter was diagnosed sonographically in 11 of 55 patients after primary shunting. Complications after shunting as overdrainage or shunt insufficiency could be demonstrated early and reliable.

[Improved diagnosis of subdural effusions in infants--importance of sonography and the noninvasive measurement of intracranial pressure].

The detection of small frontal and high-parietal subdural effusions by ultrasound examination has some problems of methods. The diagnostic accuracy of the noninvasive investigation may be improved by using the following proceeding. The application of a short-focus transducer (focus-zone 1 to 4 cm) instead of the usual medium-focus transducer; The noninvasive measurement of intracranial pressure by aplanation-tonometry of the fontanelle.

[The cavum septi pellucidi and cavum Vergae in infants -- an investigation with 2-dimensional sector-echo encephalography].

Using a two-dimensional sector-scanner the brains of 642 preterm and term infants between 28 weeks of gestation and 12 months of age were examined for the incidence of a cavum septi pellucidi (CSP) and a cavum Vergae (CV). In 100 out of 642 infants we saw a CSP. The highest incidence (52%) was found among the infants of very low gestational age (-33 weeks) within the first seven days of life.

[How to diagnose intracranial haemorrhages in infants by two-dimensional ultrasound scanning (author's transl)].

Applying a rotatory sector-scanner, in 437 infants between the 29th gestational week and 18th month of life, a sonographic study was performed in order to look for an intracranial haemorrhage. The recording was performed real-time, using the anterior fontanelle as an acoustic window. In 42 infants we saw signs of an intracranial haemorrhage, which was confirmed 11 times anatomically and 11 times by CAT.

[Recovery of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis after high-dose dexamethasone treatment (author's transl)].

High doses of dexamethasone (Fortecortin) for the prophylaxis of cerebral oedema were administered to 19 children aged 3 to 14 years because of head injury of varying degrees of severity. In order to assess possible suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical activity an insulin tolerance test and an intravenous tetracosactid (Synacthen) test was performed 1 to 26 weeks after the last dexamethasone dose. There was no evidence from the insulin tolerance test of inadequate cortisol excretion.