Intraventricular hemorrhage in the neonate born at term.

Four term infants were found by computerized cerebral tomography (CT) to have intraventricular hemorrhage. All were male infants who had experienced substantial intrapartum complications. One infant had subtle clinical signs at 2 days of age; the others had major neurologic findings including seizures and ophthalmoplegia that occurred at 1, 4, and 6 weeks of age, respectively. Three infants in whom the hemorrhages were indistinguishable by CT from those described in preterm infants now have arrested hydrocephalus and normal development. The fourth infant was found to have a large glioblastoma at the site of origin of his initial hemorrhage. These cases emphasize the need to consider this diagnosis in neonates born at term who have abnormal neurologic signs.     

Intraventricular and parenteral gentamicin therapy for ventriculitis in children

Five children with intraventricular shunts developed ventriculitis due to organisms resistant to multiple antimicrobial agents but sensitive to gentamicin sulfate. No gentamicin was detected in ventricular CSF of four patients at a time when gentamicin was being administered only intravenously. The intraventricular administration of 1 mg of gentamicin resulted in ventricular CSF concentrations greater than 20 microgram/ml one hour and 5 to 14 microgram/ml 36 hours after administration. Patients were treated with intraventricularly given gentamicin for an average of 16 days, with no apparent complications or relapses during the 12- to 24-month follow-up period. Intraventricularly administered gentamicin sulfate (1 mg every 24 to 36 hours) in conjunction with complete shunt removal was an effective means of therapy of ventriculitis caused by bacteria resistant to antibiotics that readily penetrate the blood-brain barrier.     

In situ orientation study of xanthate on copper under potential control

Adsorption and orientation of ethyl xanthate on a copper electrode was studied using an in situ spectroelectrochemical set up. Cuprous xanthate was identified to be the major product over the potential range ?0.5 to ?0.1 V (SCE). A further increase in electrode potential to 0.1 V resulted in the formation of dixanthogen in addition to cuprous xanthate. The characteristic dixanthogen bands disappeared and the intensity of cuprous xanthate bands increased when the potential was brought back and held at ?1.0 V. With polarized radiation, the spectral appearance of cuprous xanthate changed in contrast to that of dixanthogen, suggesting preferential orientation of cuprous xanthate molecules but random orientation for dixanthogen.     

Posthemorrhagic hemispheric cysts in neonates: treatment by cystoventriculostomy

Two premature infants developed enlarging symptomatic hemispheric cysts secondary to intraparenchymal hemorrhages. Computed tomographic scans obtained after metrizamide was injected into the cysts demonstrated that they were isolated from the ventricular system. The cysts were treated by biopsy of the common cyst-ventricular wall through a ventriculoscope. Both patients have been followed for over 1 year. Repeat scans have demonstrated resolution of the cysts, a return to midline of the ventricular system, and an increase in the volume of cerebral tissue. The original abnormal neurological signs have disappeared, and the developmental progress has been excellent.