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Abstract Ultrasonography has been shown to be useiul in examination of the fetal neonatal brain (Babcock & Hann ; 1995).Sonography can be used to diagnose macroscopic malformations such as hydrocephalus due to aqueduct stenosis (the most common congenital malformation of the brain), the chiari II malformation , the Dandy Walker malformation holoprosencephaly agenesis of corpus callosum, large arteriovenous malformations such as galenic malformation and arachnoid cysts (Newton, 1995). An accurate diagnosis is important for appropriate treatment such as ventriculo peritoneal shunting but in many instances may simply be wanted to estimate the patient prognosis and to counsil the family even if a treatment is not available (Lane et al; 1997). Only a few studies have previously assessed cranial ultrasound in clinically unselected infants. In these studies intracranial hemorrhage was the most common reported abnormality (With an incidence ranging between 2.7 and 5.5%). Lesions diagnosed as possible sequel to antenatal hemorrhages were present in 3 to 4%. One of these studies also reported morphological aberration in an additional 3% of the population, with an over incidence of abnormal findings of 9% (Mercuri et al; 1998). |