[Echography in the follow-up of neonatal adrenal hemorrhage. The presentation of 14 cases]

Abstract

Fourteen cases are reported of monolateral adrenal hemorrhage in newborns who were submitted to US exam at 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, and 3 months of age. The variability is emphasized of US and pathologic findings according to the patients' age. A concise terminology is suggested allowing the description of morphological and echo-structural patterns in adrenal hemorrhage. Being familiar with US spectrum of neonatal adrenal hemorrhage appearances can provide useful data in the cases with atypical clinical features. Moreover, the differential diagnosis becomes easier of neonatal adrenal hemorrhage and other diseases such as neonatal neuroblastoma, adrenal abscess, cystic neuroblastoma, cortical renal cyst, and obstructed upper cortical renal cyst, and obstructed upper excretory tract in duplicated kidney. The most effective criterion for US differential diagnosis is probably the chronological variability of US findings. Sonography is stressed as an useful and effective imaging modality in the diagnosis and follow-up of adrenal hemorrhage which helps avoid X-ray investigations and unnecessary laparotomies.