Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 4, 2025
14:15
Measurement Of Neuromagnetic Brain Function In Pre-school Children With Custom Sized MEG
Published on: February 19, 2010
17.1K
Measuring the Head Circumference on MRI in Children: an Interrater Study
Alexander Rau1, Theo Demerath2, Nico Kremers2
1Dept. of Neuroradiology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany. alexander.rau@uniklinik-freiburg.de.
Clinical Neuroradiology
|May 21, 2021
Summary
This study validates a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method for measuring head circumference in children. The MRI-based measurements showed high accuracy and reliability, aiding in diagnosing conditions like microcephaly and macrocephaly.
Area of Science:
- Neuropediatrics
- Medical Imaging
- Pediatric Neurology
Background:
- Head circumference is a key indicator of central nervous system and intracranial development in children.
- Visual assessment of head size from magnetic resonance images (MRI) can be subjective.
- Accurate head circumference measurement is crucial for diagnosing neurological conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate a novel MRI-based method for measuring head circumference in pediatric patients.
- To assess the reliability and accuracy of MRI-derived head circumference measurements compared to clinical standards.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of head circumferences from 85 children using sagittal 3D-T1w (MPRAGE) MRI data.
- Independent measurements by three readers using a defined region of interest in the axial plane.
- Comparison with clinical head circumference measurements and assessment of interrater reliability using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and total error of measurement (TEM).
Main Results:
- A strong correlation was observed between MRI-based and clinical head circumference measurements.
- Excellent interrater reliability was demonstrated (ICC = 0.985).
- Acceptable total error of measurement (TEM) ranged from 1.0-1.6%, with high mean accuracy (0.94).
Conclusions:
- A simple MRI-based measurement technique using 3D sequences and multiplanar reformations reliably determines head circumference.
- This validated method can assist in diagnosing microcephaly and macrocephaly, particularly when clinical data is missing.
