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Ventriculus terminalis of the conus medullaris: MR findings in children
L T Coleman1, R A Zimmerman, L B Rorke
1Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Insights
The ventriculus terminalis, a normal finding in young children, appears as a smooth dilation of the spinal cord
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Radiology
- Neuroimaging
- Spinal Anatomy
Background:
- The conus medullaris terminates at the L1 vertebral body.
- The ventriculus terminalis is the most caudal part of the central canal.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the appearance of the ventriculus terminalis on MRI.
- To determine the frequency of its visualization in pediatric patients.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 418 normal pediatric spine MRI examinations.
- Analysis of imaging characteristics and prevalence.
Main Results:
- Ventriculus terminalis identified in 2.6% of children (11/418), all under 5 years old.
- Observed as an ovoid, nonenhancing dilation within the conus medullaris.
- Fluid within the cavity demonstrated typical cerebrospinal fluid signal characteristics.
Conclusions:
- Asymptomatic localized dilatation of the ventriculus terminalis is a normal developmental finding.
- It can be reliably identified on MRI in young children.
- Radiologists should be aware of this normal variant to avoid misdiagnosis.
Purpose:
To determine the appearance of the ventriculus terminalis of the conus medullaris and the frequency with which it is seen on MR.
Methods:
Four hundred eighteen normal spine MR examinations were reviewed.
Results:
Eleven (2.6%) of 418 children, all younger than 5 years of age, demonstrated an ovoid, nonenhancing, smooth dilation of the central canal within the conus medullaris. Averaged volume of the oblate spheroid was 0.18 cm3. Fluid within the cavity behaved as cerebrospinal fluid on all pulse sequences, and there was no abnormal signal in the cord tissue surrounding the cavity.
Conclusion:
Asymptomatic localized dilatation of the ventriculus terminalis is a normal developmental phenomenon that can be seen on MR.