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Normal values for ventricular size as determined by real time sonographic techniques
Insights
This study on infant brain sonography found that key anatomical measurements increase with infant age and size. However, certain ratios remained stable, and the occipital mantle was often unmeasurable, which is significant for detecting ventricular dilation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Pediatric Neurology
- Medical Ultrasound
Background:
- Real-time sonography via the anterior fontanelle is a common method for assessing infant intracranial anatomy.
- Establishing normative anatomical measurements is crucial for identifying deviations indicative of disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish normative anatomical measurements in healthy infants using real-time sonography.
- To evaluate the relationship between anatomical measurements and independent variables like post-conception age, weight, and head circumference.
- To assess the stability of specific anatomical ratios during infant development.
Main Methods:
- Seventy-three real-time sonographic scans were performed.
- Scans were conducted through the anterior fontanelle in 67 infants (28-48 weeks post-conception) with no intracranial disease.
- Anatomical measurements and ratios were plotted against post-conception age, weight, and head circumference.
Main Results:
- All anatomical measurements increased with increasing post-conception age, weight, and head circumference.
- Ratios of transventricular to transcalvarial diameters and occipital to frontal mantle thickness remained stable.
- The occipital mantle was unmeasurable in 88% of cases due to non-visualization of the lateral ventricles' occipital horns.
Conclusions:
- Normative data for infant brain sonography can be established.
- Stable ratios suggest consistent relative growth patterns.
- The inability to visualize occipital horns is a significant negative finding, as ventricular dilation begins in this region.
Abstract:
Seventy-three real time sonographic scans were performed through the anterior fontanelle of 67 infants between 28 and 48 weeks post-conception who had no evidence of intracranial disease. Several anatomical measurements were plotted against independent variables such as post-conception age, weight and head circumference at the time of the examination. All of the measurements increased as age, weight and head circumference increased. Ratios formed by dividing transventricular diameters by transcalvarial diameters at the two levels in the coronal plane and by dividing occipital mantle thickness by frontal mantle thickness in the parasagittal planes remained stable as all of the independent variables increased. In 88% of cases the occipital mantle could not be measured since the occipital horns of the lateral ventricles could not be identified. Since dilation of the ventricular system starts in the occipital horns of the lateral ventricles, non-visualization of this area is an important negative finding.