Cerebral atrophy in younger persons: a comparative study between clinical examinations and computed tomography

Eighty-nine patients, all below the age of 50 and under suspicion of dementia underwent computed tomography. The degree of cerebral atrophy was visually estimated and also calculated using different ventricular diameters and the mean width of four cortical sulci. The degree of dementia was evaluated by a neurological specialist. No correlation between internal atrophy and the degree of dementia was found. In spite of a significant correlation between external atrophy and the degree of dementia, there was such overlap and underestimation that the value of computed tomography in quantifying atrophy in younger persons is very limited. In none of the patients did computed tomography disclose any organic cause of dementia.