A series of pediatric medical illustrations for a presentation on Periventricular Venous Infarction (PVI)
Pediatric Stroke Program University of Calgary
Completed: September 2010
Client: Dr. Adam Kirton
Media: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Flash
Periventricular Venous Infarction in premature infant brain (28 weeks gestation) 
Disruption of the corticospinal tract due to PVI causes contralateral muscle weakness apparent later in infancy (6 months) labelled 
Disruption of the corticospinal tract due to PVI causes contralateral muscle weakness apparent later in infancy (6 months). Brain in colour.
This animation shows the brain of a premature infant (~28 weeks gestation) with a hemorrhage of the germinal matrix. This bleeding can cause compression of the medullary vein. This blockage of the blood flow in the vein may lead to a blood clot further blocking blood flow. This leads to such an impairment of blood drainage from the periventricular white matter that it becomes infarcted.
Damage to the periventricular white matter due to PVI disrupts the corticospinal tract causing weakness in the contralateral muscles. PVI weakness is usually not appreciated at birth but only later in infancy.