A COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF LINEAR MEASUREMENT OF THE BRAIN AND 3-DIMENSIONAL MEASUREMENT OF BRAIN VOLUME USING CT SCANS

Parameters of linear measurement were compared with actual brain volum e to assess the significance of linear measurements as indices of atro phy in 31 neurologically normal children and 22 neurologically abnorma l children. Brain volume was established by means of an image-analyzin g system using contiguous CT scans. The parameters or indices estimate d were: (1) the maximum transverse width of both hemispheres, (2) the maximum longitudinal length of both hemispheres, (3) the maximum front al subarachnoid space, (4) the maximum width of the interhemsipheric f issure, (5) the maximum width of the Sylvian fissure, (6) Evans' ratio , (7) the maximum width of the third ventricle, (8) the cella media in dex, (9) the maximum width of the fourth ventricle. In neurologically normal children, the maximum transverse width of both hemispheres, the maximum longitudinal length of both hemispheres, the maximum width of the interhemispheric fissure and the maximum width of the Sylvian fis sure correlated significantly with the combined volume (CV) of both he mispheres and basal ganglia. In particular, the maximum transverse wid th of both hemispheres and the maximum longitudinal length of both hem ispheres had a high correlation. In neurologically abnormal children t he maximum transverse width of both hemispheres and the maximum width of the interhemispheric fissure were significantly correlated with the CV of both hemispheres and basal ganglia.