Evaluation of the VentricularSystem in Adults byTranscranial DuplexSonography

Abstract

Transcranial duplex color-flow sonography provides visualization of intracranial structures, and measures angle-corrected blood flow velocity in the basal cerebral arteries of adults. In 44 patients with central nervous system disease, the oblique diameters of the third and the middle part of the lateral ventricle were measured by transcranial duplex color-flow sonography using a system with a 2.5-MHz transducer, and compared to computed tomography measurements. The correlation coefficients for the third and lateral ventricle measurements were r = 0.83 (p < 0.0001, N = 38) and 0.73 (p < 0.0001, N = 78), respectively. A second investigation was performed by transcranial duplex to evaluate intraobserver and interobserver reproducibility. The correlation coefficient representing interobserver reproducibility in 27 patients was r = 0.87 (p < 0.0001, N = 47) for the lateral ventricle and r = 0.9 (p < 0.0001, N = 49) for the third ventricle. The intraobserver reproducibility correlation coefficient was r = 0.93 (p < 0.0001, N = 22) for the lateral ventricle in 12 patients. In 49 healthy volunteers the oblique diameters of the lateral and third ventricles were age dependent, measuring 16.7 +/- 2.3 mm and 4.8 +/- 1.9 mm, respectively, in those younger than 59 years, compared to 19.0 +/- 2.9 mm and 7.6 +/- 2.1 mm in those 60 years or older. Therefore, transcranial duplex color-flow sonography measures noninvasively the third and the lateral ventricle in adults.

Depression in patients with Huntington disease correlates with alterations of the brain stem raphe depicted by transcranial sonography

“…Regarding brain atrophy, the sonographic evaluation of the ventricular system, including ventricular enlargement, has been described previously. 38 The width of third ventricle serves as a marker of cerebral atrophy in the sonographic discrimination between corticobasal degeneration and progressive supranuclear palsy. 39 As expected, the patients with Huntington disease in our study showed significantly larger widths of the third ventricle than healthy controls.…”

Update on Transcranial Sonography Applications in Movement Disorders

“…This procedure is performed from the midbrain plane, tilting the ultrasound beam at an angle of approximately 10-20° upwards. At this section, the transverse diameter of the third ventricle and of the frontal horn of the contralateral lateral ventricle can be measured [45]. To ensure the accurate and reproducible measurement of the widths of the ventricles calculations using TCS are performed from the ipsilateral to the contralateral inner layer of the hyperechogenic ependyma.…”

Neurosonology of intracranial pressure increase

“…Aslında bu çapın normal değeri yaşa bağlıdır ve her bir laboratuar için ayrıca normatif veri belirlenmelidir. 60 yaş altında ortalama değer bir çalışmada 3. ventrikül çapı için 4,8±1,9 mm ve LVFH için 16,7±2,3 mm, 60 yaş üzeri için ise sırasıyla 7,6±2,1 mm ve 19,0±2,9 mm olarak verilmiştir (35). Normalde görüntülenemeyen lateral ventrikül oksipital hornlarının rahatça vizüalize olması da hidrosefalinin bir diğer sonografik bulgusudur (Şekil-11).…”

“…Normalde görüntülenemeyen lateral ventrikül oksipital hornlarının rahatça vizüalize olması da hidrosefalinin bir diğer sonografik bulgusudur (Şekil-11). Sonografik olarak ölçülen 3. ventrikül çapı (r=0,83-0,96), sağ ve sol LVFH çapı (r=0,73-0,97) CT ile ölçülen çaplar ile oldukça iyi derecede korelasyon göstermektedir (35)(36)(37).…”