How is PVL Diagnosed?
PVL can only be identified by ultrasound, MRI scan or CT scan of the brain. Premature newborns who have a risk of PVL usually have a head ultrasound done at about 30 days of age to look for PVL. The ultrasound test is the simplest brain-imaging test to perform. Even on a head ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI, PVL may not show up until a month or more after birth. Therefore, to identify PVL reliably, a head ultrasound or other test should be done at about four weeks after birth.
