22 premature infants with a birth weight less than 1500 g were studied by computed tomography. All of them needed intensive care therapy and had symptoms, which may have been caused by cerebral haemorrhage. In 15 cases (= 68%) we found subependymal and intraventricular bleeding. Clinical data showed that ventilated premature infants with subependymal and intraventricular haemorrhage needed respiratory support in the first hours p.p. because of hyaline membrane and aspiration syndroms. Premature infants without cerebral haemorrhage were ventilated much later (mean 96 h. p.p.). All patients with intraventricular haemorrhage and ventricular enlargement with and without parenchymal haemorrhage (grade III and IV) died. Prematures with subependymal haemorrhage (grad I) and intraventricular haemorrhage without ventricular dilation (grade II) may survive, depending on eventually present pulmonary complications. The introduction of computed tomography in the examination of the CNS on prematures can therefore help to give an early prognosis.
