I am a basket case. my son has periventricular leukomalacia. can you tell me something about it?

Discriptive term: Pvl is used to describe changes in the appearance of the brain substance that is adjacent to the ventricles of the brain (spinal fluid containing sacs in the middle). This occurs when blood flow or oxygen delivery to those sites was interupted and injury occured. Outcome is variable & movement disorders& motor delay are common. Therapy will often improve outcome. Developmental followup is a must.

Disabilites: Unfortunately, periventricular leukomalacia, or pvl usually occurs in pre-term infants, but can occur in-utero when there has been placental insufficiency causing poor perfusion to the fetal brain. They are cysts that form when those areas of the brain essentially die. They are around the ventricular system of the brain, where the neurons involved regulate movement. Cerebral palsy is usually seen.

Hope this helps: You didn't indicate if he is a preemie, had any other neurological problems, nor his age, so i can't address his specific prognosis. I can only tell you that i've had patients whose MRI findings looked a lot worse than they did and that early intervention really will help both of you.You deserve a safe place to vent your feelings so you can focus on learning what you can do to help your son.