Transient Hepatic Nodular Lesions Associated with Patent Ductus Venosus in Preterm Infants

 

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ABSTRACT

We report on two cases of low-birth-weight preterm infants with patent ductus venosus associated with hepatic hypoechoic lesions of the fourth segment in an otherwise normal liver. Although tumorlike hepatic lesions have been previously reported in association with portosystemic shunts in children and adults, they were never described in preterm infants during physiological patency of ductus venosus. In our patients, hepatic lesions disappeared shortly after the spontaneous ductus closure. Physiopathologic interactions are discussed regarding altered portal blood supply caused by ductus venosus shunt.

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Ingrid Anne Mandy SchierzM.D. 

Unità Complessa di Pediatria e Terapia Intensiva Neonatale, Dipartimento Universitario Materno Infantile, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Policlinico Paolo Giaccone

Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via Alfonso Giordano, 3, 90127 Palermo, Italy

Email: giocors@aliceposta.it