[2-dimensional echoencephalography or cranial CT in premature or newborn infants with suspected intracranial hemorrhages].

65 newborns or low-birthweight infants with suspicion of intracranial hemorrhage were examined with B-mode small part scanners. In 12 cases the diagnosis made by ultrasound could be compared with CT. There was a similar accuracy of both methods in case of intraventricular (IVH) and subependymal (SEH) hemorrhage. SEH seems to be easier detected by US. On the other hand there are problems in diagnosing subdural (SDH) and intracerebral (IHC) hemorrhages by US. These problems are caused by the adjacent skull, but does not exist for CT. B-mode-Echoencephalography is the method of choice for examination of high risk infants and for the follow up, because US is a cribside method and of high diagnostic accuracy. CT-studies should be done in case of hemorrhage adjacent to the skull and if the US-diagnosis seems not to be reliable.