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Published on: June 26, 2013
Caval variations in neurologically diseased patients
Rachael A Akinola1, Olufemi E Idowu2, Adedolapo O Nelson-Paseda1
1Department of Radiology, Lagos State University College of Medicine and Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.
Insights
Cavum variations are common in neurological brain diseases, with cavum vergae being the most frequent. These variations do not differ significantly between congenital and acquired brain conditions or between children and adults.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Neurology
- Radiology
Background:
- The prevalence of cavum variations in healthy individuals and neurologically diseased patients remains unclear.
- Understanding cavum variations is crucial for neurological disease assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the frequency and patterns of cavum variations in patients with neurological diseases.
- To compare the occurrence of cavum variations across different neurological conditions and age groups.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 217 cranial CT scans from patients aged 6 months and above.
- Assessment for the presence of cavum septum pellucidum (CSP), cavum vergae (CV), and cavum velum interpositum (CVI).
Main Results:
- Cavum variations were observed in 59.9% of reviewed CT scans.
- Cavum vergae (CV) was the most common (39.6%), followed by cavum velum interpositum (CVI) (24.4%), and cavum septum pellucidum (CSP) (23%).
- No significant difference in cavum variation frequency was found between congenital and acquired brain diseases (P=0.484) or between children and adults (P=0.101).
Conclusions:
- Cavum variations are prevalent in patients with neurological brain diseases.
- Congenital brain diseases do not present a higher frequency of cavum variations compared to acquired lesions.
- Cavum vergae is the most common variation, while CSP is the rarest.
Background:
The import of the cavum variation and its prevalence rate in healthy individuals is still not clear, likewise in neurologically diseased patients.
Purpose:
To evaluate the frequency and pattern of caval variations in neurologically diseased patients.
Material And Methods:
The presence or absence of the cavum septum pellucidum (CSP), cavum vergae (CV), or cavum velum interpositum (CVI) was reviewed from successive cranial computerized tomography (CT) images of patients who were aged 6 months and above. Two hundred and seventeen cranial CT images were reviewed.
Results:
At least a cavum variation was noted in 130 (59.9%) of the CT scan images reviewed. The CV, CVI, and CSP were noted in 86 (39.6%), 53 (24.4%), and 50 images (23%), respectively. Caval multiplicity was noted in 102 patients (47%). There was no significant difference in the rate of occurrence of cavum variations in patients with congenital brain diseases and acquired brain conditions (P = 0.484), neither was there a significant difference in the frequency of cavum variation in children aged older than 6 months compared to adults (P = 0.101).
Conclusion:
Cava variations are relatively common in neurological brain diseases. Patients with congenital brain diseases did not have a higher frequency of cava variation when compared with those that had acquired lesions. The most common type of cavum variation noted in this study was the vergae variety, while the CSP is the rarest.
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