Age-Related Changes and Reference Values of Bicaudate Ratio and Sagittal Brainstem Diameters on MRI

Sven F. Garbade; Nikolas Boy; Jana Heringer; Stefan Kölker; Inga Harting

doi:10.1055/s-0038-1660475

Neuropediatrics, Table of Contents

Neuropediatrics 2018; 49(04): 269-275
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1660475

Original Article

Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Age-Related Changes and Reference Values of Bicaudate Ratio and Sagittal Brainstem Diameters on MRI

Authors

Sven F. Garbade

¹Division of Neuropediatrics and Metabolic Medicine, Clinic I, Centre for Child and Adolescent Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
Nikolas Boy

¹Division of Neuropediatrics and Metabolic Medicine, Clinic I, Centre for Child and Adolescent Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
Jana Heringer

¹Division of Neuropediatrics and Metabolic Medicine, Clinic I, Centre for Child and Adolescent Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
Stefan Kölker

¹Division of Neuropediatrics and Metabolic Medicine, Clinic I, Centre for Child and Adolescent Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
Inga Harting

²Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany

Abstract

Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays an important role in the diagnosis of neurometabolic diseases, and, in addition, temporal patterns of signal and volume changes allow insight into the underlying pathogenesis. While assessment of volume changes by visual inspection is subjective, volumetric approaches are often not feasible with rare neurometabolic diseases, where MRIs are often acquired with different scanners and protocols. Linear surrogate parameters of brain volume, for example, the bicaudate ratio, present a robust alternative that can be derived from standard imaging sequences. Due to the continuing postnatal brain and skull development and later brain involution, it is, however, necessary to compare patient values with age age-adapted normal values.

In this article, we present age-dependent normal values derived from 993 standard scans of patients with normal MRI findings (age range: 0–80 years; mean = 19.9; median = 12.8 years) for bicaudate ratio as a measure of global supratentorial volume, as well as the maximal anteroposterior diameters of mesencephalon, pons, and medulla oblongata as parameters of brainstem volume. The provided data allow quantitative, objective assessment of brain volume changes instead of the usually performed visual and therefore subjective assessment.

Keywords

MRI - normal values - bicaudate ratio - brainstem diameters

Full Text

References

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