Evaluation of the brainstem with high-resolution CT in cerebellar atrophic processes

The authors studied the usefulness of computed tomography (CT) for evaluation of the brainstem in cerebellar atrophic processes. Twenty adult subjects without posterior fossa lesion were used for normal CT measurements of the brainstem. The measured values with CT corresponded to those with pneumotomography. Also reviewed were 49 patients with cerebellar atrophy which included spinocerebellar degeneration (25 patients), Shy-Drager syndrome (five), progressive supranuclear palsy (three), chronic phenytoin usage (10), and chronic alcoholism (six). All but the chronic alcoholism group showed atrophy of the brainstem at all locations of measurement when compared with normal controls (p less than 0.05). In addition, the patients with progressive supranuclear palsy had significantly more pronounced midbrain atrophy. In the chronic alcoholism group the measurements of the brachium pontis, the medulla, and the fourth ventricle differed significantly from those of normal controls (p less than 0.05).