What is ventricular leukomalacia?

Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is a softening of white brain tissue near the ventricles. The ventricles are fluid-filled chambers in the brain. These are the spaces in the brain that contain the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

What does leukomalacia mean?

Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is a type of brain injury that affects premature 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.

What causes leukomalacia?

PVL is caused by a lack of oxygen or blood flow to the periventricular area of the brain, which results in the death or loss of brain tissue. The periventricular area-the area around the spaces in the brain called ventricles-contains nerve fibers that carry messages from the brain to the body’s muscles.

Is periventricular leukomalacia curable?

PVL may occur due to lack of blood or oxygen to your child’s brain. PVL leads to problems with motor movements and can increase the risk of cerebral palsy. PVL has no cure, but therapy can help improve your child’s day-to-day life.

Is PVL considered a disability?

About 75% of premature babies diagnosed with PVL will go on to have some form of disability. In general, the more mild the case, the less severe the disability will be. Very mild cases of PVL may have no lasting disability at all.

What causes too much white matter in brain?

Many different diseases, injuries, and toxins can cause changes in your white matter. Doctors point to the same blood vessel problems that lead to heart trouble or strokes: Long-term high blood pressure. Ongoing blood vessel inflammation.

What does PVL look like on MRI?

In end-stage PVL, T2-weighted MRI shows abnormally high signal intensity in the bilateral peritrigonal regions and delayed myelination, which is most common in patients with a young gestational age. This appearance resembles normally unmyelinated areas of white matter.

Is periventricular leukomalacia a disability?

Risk factors include moderate and severe IVH, infections within the womb, asphyxia and a lengthy resuscitation following birth. Most premature babies diagnosed with PVL will go on to have some form of disability, however mild cases of PVL may have no lasting disability.

Does periventricular leukomalacia get worse?

PVL is not a progressive condition so its symptoms do not gradually worsen as the child gets older. The damage to the white matter occurs during brain development and does not continue to expand after birth.

Can periventricular leukomalacia get worse?

Does PVL cause seizures?

Children with PVL may have seizures. A study in Israel of 541 patients showed that 18.7% of those experienced seizures. Seizures are more common in those born prematurely and with low birth weight. Infants with PVL often cannot maintain a steady gaze or co-ordinate eye movements.

Is white matter on the brain serious?

Some white matter lesions may not cause noticeable symptoms and can be considered almost “normal” with aging. However, some of these lesions can damage important pathways (highways) within your brain and can cause problems with memory, balance and walking.