Cranial Ultrasound: What To Think About

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What To Think About

• Because ultrasound cannot penetrate bone, cranial ultrasound can be performed only on babies whose skull (cranial) bones have not yet grown together. However, duplex Doppler ultrasound can be done to evaluate blood flow and vessel spasms in the brain in children and adults. For more information, see the medical test Doppler Ultrasound.
• Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is not usually detectable until several weeks after birth. For this reason, cranial ultrasound is generally done between 4 and 8 weeks after delivery. Because cranial ultrasound may detect suspicious areas in the brain that may or may not be PVL, ultrasound testing may be repeated over several weeks. Babies with PVL or intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) may develop normally or may have varying levels of disability, including cerebral palsy or mental retardation.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning may be done instead of cranial ultrasound to evaluate PVL or IVH in babies born prematurely. For more information, see the medical test Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the Head.
• Fetal ultrasound is used during pregnancy to view a baby (fetus) and the placenta. For more information about ultrasound during pregnancy, see the medical test Fetal Ultrasound.

Last updated:	January 17, 2007
Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS
Reviewed By:	Paul D. Traughber, MD - Radiology, Kenneth B. Sutherland, CD, BSc, MD, FRCPC - Diagnostic Radiology
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer