Five-year follow-up of prematurely born children with postnatally developing caudothalamic cysts.

AIM

To assess the long-term developmental outcome of very low birth weight children with postnatally developing caudothalamic cysts.

METHODS

Five very low birth weight children with postnatal caudothalamic cysts were examined using cranial ultrasound and brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging as neonates, the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, 2nd edition, and the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination at 2 years of corrected age, and with the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised and the standardization version of NEPSY II at 5 years of age. The Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the brain was repeated at 5 years of age. The developmental outcome at 5 years of age was compared with that of 23 very low birth weight children with normal brain structure.

RESULTS

A cognitive level below normal and/or neuropsychological impairments was seen in all the children with caudothalamic cysts as well as in those with normal brain structure.

CONCLUSION

Very low birth weight children with postnatally developing caudothalamic cysts had cognitive and neuropsychological impairments similar to very low birth weight children without such cysts.