Pulseless and Alive

A cerebral ultrasound study on a neonate revealed abnormal blood flow in all intracranial arteries (Figure 1). The boy was scanned at 5 days of age as part of a Doppler ultrasound research program conducted at our department. Almost all neonates delivered at our hospital undergo imaging of the blood flow in the basilar artery. Perfusion is visualized when the head is turned to the left and right in both the prone and supine position. The aim is to investigate positional hypoperfusion of the brain stem, which is considered a risk factor for sudden infant death.1Figure 1. Initial findings during cerebral Doppler sonography: pathological Doppler flow in the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) with an almost veinlike flow pattern.The neonate was the second child of a 30-year old white woman. Pregnancy and birth were uneventful. He did not display any signs or symptoms consistent with a congenital abnormality or syndrome. Doppler ultrasound revealed an abnormal cerebral perfusion pattern with low flow velocities and a flattened, veinlike flow profile in all major intracranial arteries (anterior cerebral artery, both internal carotid arteries, basilar and both vertebral arteries) (Figure 1), whereas all abdominal arteries (celiac trunk …