Abstract OBJECTIVE: To explore the association between chorioamnionitis and brain injury in preterm infants. METHODS: A total of 88 preterm infants (28-34 weeks), who were born between June 2008 and June 2011, were divided into a case group (n=41) and a control group (n=47) according to whether or not they had chorioamnionitis. All the infants were examined by brain ultrasonography periodically after birth and underwent brain diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) between 3 and 7 days after birth. The two groups were compared in terms of the incidence of periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) and periventricular and intraventricular hemorrhage (PVH-IVH) by brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at the corrected gestational age of 40 weeks. RESULTS: There was statistical significance in the incidence of PVL between the case and the control groups (32% vs 6%; P0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Chorioamnionitis is associated with brain injury in preterm infants, increasing the incidence of PVL but having little influence over the incidence of PVH-IVH.
［1］Pristauz G, Bauer M, Maurer-Fellbaum U, Rotky-Fast C, Bader AA, Haas J, et al. Neonatal outcome and two-years follow-up afterexpectant management of second trimester rupture of membranes［J］. Int J Gynecol Obstet, 2008, 101(3): 264-268.
［7］Larroque B, Marret S, Ancel PY, Arnaud C, Marpeau L, Supernant K, et al. White matter damage and intraventricularhemorrhage in very preterm infants: the EPIPAGE study［J］. J Pediatr. 2003, 43(4): 447-483.
［9］Elllison VJ, Mocatta TJ, Winterbourn CC, Darlow BA, Volpe JJ, Inder TE. The relationship of CSF and plasma cytokine levels to cerebral white matter injury in the premature newborn［J］. Pediatr Res, 2006, 57(2): 282-286.
［10］Locatelli A, Ghidini A, Assi F, Andreani M, Malguzzi S, Paterlini G. Which factors affect the occurrence of severe cerebral lesions in preterm neonates who are born with intrauterine infection?［J］.Am J Obstet Gynecol, 2008, 199(4): 404.
［11］Suppiej A, Franzoi M, Vedovato S, Marucco A, Chiarelli S, Zanardo V. Neurodevelopmental outcome in preterm histological chorioamnionitis［J］. Early Hum Dev, 2009, 85(3): 187-189.
［13］Soraisham AS, Singhal N, McMillan DD, Sauve Rs, Lee SK; Canadian Neonatal Network. A multicenter study on the clinical outcomeof chorioamnionitis in preterm infants［J］. Am J Obstet Gynecol, 2009, 200(4): 372.
