Periventricular Leukomalacia in Ulin General Hospital Banjarmasin: A Prevalence and Baseline Characteristics Study

Preterm neonates are at high risk of long-term neurodevelopmental morbidities. Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is the main form of brain injury and is mostly found in premature neonates. This study aims to discover the prevalence of PVL and provide baseline characteristics of PVL. The study included term and preterm neonates diagnosed with PVL, detected by head ultrasound, during hospitalization in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) or neonatology ward in Ulin General Hospital Banjarmasin from February 2021 to January 2023. Data were gathered from medical records. During the study, nineteen patients were enrolled, 18 preterm neonates (<37 weeks of gestation) and one full-term neonate. The mean gestational age was 32.3 + 2.5 weeks. The overall prevalence rate of PVL in preterm neonates was 4.4% (18/409), and in extremely preterm neonates was 5.7% (7/122). Diffuse PVL is the most common form of PVL (78.9%). The risk factors revealed were sepsis and respiratory distress. Blood transfusion was found in nearly all of the neonates. The prevalence of extremely preterm neonates with PVL was lower than previously reported due to limited resources (absence of bedside ultrasound). Diffuse (non-cystic) PVL was the predominant ultrasound finding. Common neonatal risk factors such as sepsis, respiratory distress, and blood transfusion could be related to PVL.