Abstract
Background The clinical significance and incidence of isolated mega cisterna magna (MCM) have
been thoroughly investigated. While MCM has been reported in association with psychiatric
disorders in adults, current study sought to report its incidence and relationship
with gender and age in a consecutive series of patients without psychiatric comorbidities.
Materials and Methods We retrospectively reviewed 1,016 consecutive computed tomography scans of patients
between the age of 1 and 80 with a history of minor head trauma, headache, or vertigo
from April to August 2023. Two perpendicular diameters inside the MCM were measured:
the first diameter (D1) was measured longitudinally on the midsagittal plane (anteroposterior diameter),
whereas the second one (D2) was measured transeversely (transverse diameter). An MCM with D1 > 20 mm was defined as “huge MCM.” The relationship between age, gender, and the two
diameters were subsequently analyzed.
Results Over a course of 5 months, 92 cases with MCM, including 76 men, were evaluated. The
mean age of MCM cases was 35.31 ± 26.14, with no significant relationship observed
between age and MCM. No significant difference in D1 was found between genders, while D2 significantly differed between men and women (p < 0.029). “Huge MCM” was exclusively observed in 18 men (p < 0.035). There was also no significant correlation between D1 and D2.
Conclusion MCM appears to be a normal variation in the general population with no clinical significance.
Despite the small sample size, the current study can provide a foundation for further
studies to investigate the correlation of isolated MCM with different aspects of cognitive
functions and its potential clinical relevance.
Keywords
computed tomography scan - mega cisterna magna - normal population - normal variation
- preliminary study
