Gelatin Sign: Ultrasonographic Evidence of Cerebral Necrosis in Infants

Abstract

Since its introduction, real-time ultrasonographic imaging of the neonatal brain has proven valuable in detecting a variety of pathologic and anatomic disturbances of the newborn brain.1-3 High resolution scanning heads, bedside technique, and video recording also allow study of the intracranial movement and responses to intrinsic and extrinsic forces. This paper reports six cases of infants with severe brain disease of widely different etiologies, in which abnormal response was found to cranial percussion, termed the "gelatin sign." MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 506 consecutive real-time cranial ultrasound scans were obtained in 333 cases from a Level 3, regional neonatal intensive care unit. The scans were ordered by attending neonatologists to study the CNS in low birth weight infants and infants suspected of having intracranial disease.