Ventricular Access Utilizing Cutaneous Reference Points: Statistical Analysis and Proposal of a New Ventricular Entry...

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Radiology
• Anatomy

Background:

• The freehand technique for lateral ventricle access in neurosurgery can lead to complications.
• Accurate anatomical reference points are crucial for safe and effective ventricular access.

Purpose of the Study:

• To perform radiologic measurements on normal brain CT scans.
• To delineate a novel ventricular entry point using cutaneous landmarks.
• To highlight the surgical implications of these findings for presurgical planning.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 132 normal brain computed tomography (CT) scans.
• Measurement of six radiologic distances (AR, BR, AL, BL, C, and D) using Horos software.
• Statistical analysis based on age, sex, and side using minitab18 software.

Main Results:

• Mean measurements were recorded for AR (2.1 cm), BR (7 cm), AL (2.1 cm), BL (7.1 cm), C (12.4 cm), and D (7 cm).
• A new ventricular entry point was identified 12.4 cm posterior to the nasion and 2.1 cm lateral to the midline.

Conclusions:

• A novel entry point for ventricular access has been identified using cutaneous reference points.
• This finding has potential applications in presurgical planning for ventricular pathologies.
• Further prospective studies are recommended to validate these findings.