Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2025
Author Spotlight: Bridging Gaps in Anatomy and Establishing a Foundation for Algorithmic Studies
Published on: December 15, 2023
Normal growth curve of choroid plexus in children: implications for assessing hydrocephalus due to choroid plexus
Hiroaki Hashimoto1,2, Osamu Takemoto1, Keisuke Nishimoto1
11Department of Neurosurgery, Osaka Women's and Children's Hospital, Izumi, Osaka, Japan; and.
Insights
This study establishes normal growth curves for pediatric intracranial, choroid plexus, and lateral ventricle volumes. These curves aid in objectively assessing hydrocephalus and choroid plexus hyperplasia (CPH).
Area of Science:
- Pediatric neuroimaging
- Cerebrospinal fluid dynamics
- Developmental anatomy
Background:
- Pediatric hydrocephalus evaluation necessitates understanding intracranial structure growth.
- Limited data exists on normal choroid plexus growth in children.
- Accurate growth curves are crucial for diagnosing conditions like hydrocephalus.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop normative growth curves for intracranial volume, choroid plexus volume, and lateral ventricles volume in children.
- To objectively quantify hydrocephalus severity in cases of choroid plexus hyperplasia (CPH).
- To evaluate the impact of surgical interventions on these volumes.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 229 pediatric head CT scans (ages 0-10).
- Segmentation and volume calculation for intracranial, choroid plexus, and lateral ventricles.
- Creation of age-specific growth curves and z-normalization for CPH assessment.
Main Results:
- Positive correlations found between intracranial, choroid plexus, and lateral ventricles volumes.
- Rapid growth observed until ~1-2 years, followed by plateauing.
- CPH cases showed significantly elevated z-normalized volumes for choroid plexus and lateral ventricles.
- Surgical interventions led to improvements in normalized volumes.
Conclusions:
- Provides essential normative growth data for pediatric intracranial and ventricular volumes.
- Enables objective assessment of hydrocephalus and CPH using z-scores.
- Highlights the utility of quantitative imaging in evaluating treatment efficacy.
Objective:
Pediatric hydrocephalus requires evaluation while accounting for growth of the intracranial structures, but information on choroid plexus growth in children is lacking. This study aimed to create normal growth curves for intracranial volume, choroid plexus volume, and lateral ventricles volume. Additionally, the authors aimed to objectively assess the degree of hydrocephalus caused by choroid plexus hyperplasia (CPH) and to examine the impact of surgical procedures.
Methods:
This retrospective study analyzed the head CT scans of pediatric patients with minor head trauma treated at Osaka Women's and Children's Hospital between March 2006 and May 2023. The study segmented and calculated intracranial, choroid plexus, and lateral ventricles volumes. The study also calculated the correlation coefficients among these 3 parameters. Patients aged 0 to 10 years were divided into 15 age-related clusters, and mean ± SD values were calculated for each cluster. Growth curves were created by plotting mean values sequentially. Volume obtained from patients with CPH were z-normalized using mean and SD values and compared.
Results:
A total of 229 CT scans (94 from females) were analyzed, and positive correlations were observed among intracranial volume, choroid plexus volume, and lateral ventricles volume, with the strongest correlation between the choroid plexus and lateral ventricles volumes. The growth rate of intracranial volume was rapid until approximately 20 months of age, while those of choroid plexus volume and lateral ventricles volume increased rapidly until approximately 1 year of age. Subsequently, choroid plexus volume and lateral ventricles volume plateaued at 1.5 ml and 10 ml, respectively. Three patients with CPH were enrolled and quantitatively evaluated on the basis of the z-normalized volume. Notable abnormal volumes of the choroid plexus (range z-normalized values 24.11-51.17) and lateral ventricles (46.78-122.36) were observed. In 2 patients, improvements in the z-normalized values of intracranial volume and lateral ventricles volume were observed after surgical interventions. Additionally, in 1 patient, choroid plexus volume was reduced by approximately 24% (range z-normalized values 51.17-38.93) after bilateral endoscopic plexus coagulation.
Conclusions:
This study provides normal growth curves for intracranial volume, choroid plexus volume, and lateral ventricles volume. Knowledge of these normal values holds the potential for objective assessment of abnormal values associated with hydrocephalus and choroid plexus diseases such as CPH.
More Related Videos
06:45Microdissection and Whole Mount Scanning Electron Microscopy Visualization of Mouse Choroid Plexus
Published on: December 16, 2022
08:55Translaminar Autonomous System Model for the Modulation of Intraocular and Intracranial Pressure in Human Donor Posterior Segments
Published on: April 24, 2020
