Objective: the aim of this study is to evaluate possible pathologies associated with hyperechogenicity of thalamic vessels (HETV), which are found on brain ultrasounds (BUS), as well as to observe the frequency of their occurrence. Methods: the sample was composed of 206 preterm newborn infants at Hospital de Clíncas de Porto Alegre (HCPA) from July 1998 to May 1999. All of them were submitted to BUS in the first week of life. Preterm children who needed hospital admission and had a term of informed consent signed up by their guardians were included in this study. Preterm newborn children with BUS showing intracranial hemorrhage and/or associated congenital malformation were excluded from this study. Results: through BUS it was possible to identify 65 preterm newborn children with HETV and 141 preterm newborn children without HETV. Conclusions: we identified the following risk factors for HETV: pelvic presentation, longer gestational period, increased birthweight and big for gestational age classification. On the other hand, mother's hypertension during the gestational period tended to protect infants from HETV. The newborn infants that presented convulsive crises during hospitalization had a 3.2-fold higher risk of having HETV when compared to the ones who did not go through any convulsive crises.
brain ultrasound; preterm; hyperechogenicity of thalamic vessels
