Ecografía transfontanelar en el estudio de patologías del sistema nervioso en neonatos atendidos en el Hospital José Carrasco Arteaga, Cuenca, 2015-2019

Abstract

Neurological disorders are associated with alterations during embryonic development until early childhood. They have serious repercussions on health systems, families, and social and economic spheres. In newborns, transfontanellar ultrasounds are used for diagnosing intracranial pathologies while the anterior fontanelle remains open, as it is a useful, non-invasive method that is easy to interpret. This study aimed at describing the findings of transfontanellar ultrasounds performed to study pathologies of the central nervous system in neonates treated at the José Carrasco Arteaga Hospital, in the city of Cuenca, during the years 2015-2019. This was a quantitative, descriptive, cross- sectional, retrospective study, where 654 clinical records of neonates, who were admitted to the Neonatology unit of the participating institution during the specified period, and who have had a transfontanellar ultrasound study performed, were reviewed. A statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS 15 software and the results were presented using personalized tables based on descriptive statistics. Of the 654 newborns, 55.7% were male, 81.5% were born by cesarean section, 75.1% were premature according to the application of the Capurro test and/or Ballard score, and 83.5% were appropriate for gestational age. Grade I germinal matrix hemorrhage was the most frequent observation in transfontanellar ultrasound reports, with 4%. The cavum septum pellucidum was the most frequent anatomical variant, with 13.1%.