CT Volumetric Measurement Of Cerebral Ventricular System In Normal Chinese Population

Objective: To establish the volume range of cerebral ventricular system in normal Chinese population by measuring a large number of cases with Volume Software on the basis of the evaluation on the accuracy and reproducibility of Volume Software of Siemens Sensation 4 spiral CT.Materials and methods: Ten solid or liquid models with different size, shape and density were scanned by Siemens spiral CT. The correlation between the CT system and actual reference measurement of volumes of models was explored. Six hundred and thirty one cases were included into volumes of ventricular System study, ranging from 1 day to 80 years old, grouped by sex and age. All cases underwent Siemens Sensation 4 multi~array detector spiral CT scan and 3 mm sections brain images were reconstructed. Volumes of the ventricular system were obtained by Volume Software of Siemens spiral CT, at the same time, the diameters of ventricular system were measured and calculated.Results: The correlation between the CT system and actual reference volumes of models was very strong( r=0.999~1.000, P0.001). The mean difference between volume measurements on 3 mm sections was smaller than on 8 mm sections(P <0.05) The volumes of models measured by different people or at different time had no significant difference.The 95% confidence intervals of volumes of the ventricle system in 10~19 years, 20~29 years, 30~39 years, 40~49 years, 50~59 years and 60~69 years : two lateral ventricles were 9.19~12.01 cm3, 9.53~11.53 cm3, 11.50~13.32 cm3, 12.63~16.35 cm3, 14.43~20.34 cm3, 17.62~20.65 cm3 respectively; the third ventricle of male cases were 0.76~1.04 cm3, 0.86~1.02 cm3, 0.83~0.95 cm3, 0.91~1.19 cm3, 0.75~1.25 cm3, 0.95~1.28 cm3 respectively; the third ventricle of female cases were 0.67~0.85 cm3, 0.61~0.74 cm3, 0.52~0.65 cm3, 0.52~0.70 cm3, 0.56~0.78 cm3, 0.78~1.07 cm3 respectively; the forth ventricle were 1.15~1.33 cm3, 1.12~1.27 cm3, 1.03~1.18 cm3, 0.98~1.38 cm3, 0.69~0.85 cm3, 0.76~0.97 cm3 respectively.The correlation coefficients between the diameters and volumes of the third and forth ventricle were 0.777, 0.657 respectively, and the lineal regression equation of the third and forth ventricle were Y~3.283X~0.318 and Y=1.159X+0.01063 respectively.Conclusions: (1)CT could be used as a reference noninvasive method for volume measurement in clinical application. (2)The volumes of the whole ventricular system in normal Chinese population were firstly, comprehensively measured and analyzed in CT imaging in the thesis. The relation and the lineal regression equations between the diameters and volumes of the third and forth ventricle were firstly studied by mathematic and statistics means in CT imaging. (3)The volume ratios of different ventricles and the rules of the volumes change with age were explored in CT imaging.