Cerebral blood flow changes associated with fetal intracranial hemorrhages

Background and material. In order to evaluate cerebral blood flow changes associated with fetal intracranial hemorrhages, ultrasound and MRI examinations were carried out in four pregnancies with this complication. Results. Increased resistance indices of the blood flow profile of the middle cerebral artery were detected in three of the fetuses, two of them presenting retrograde diastolic flow. Flow became normalized in one case within four weeks, changing on the contralateral side to an increased diastolic flow pattern. Conclusion. Increased intracranial pressure can cause these flow changes, but cerebral blood flow autoregulation need not be completely ruined in this complication.