Midsagittal MR measurements of the corpus callosum in healthy subjects and diseased patients: a prospective survey.
OBJECTIVE
To determine quantitatively a possible corpus callosum (CC) involvement in normal aging and white matter diseases.


METHODS
Midsagittal size and signal of CC were recorded prospectively from 243 routine MR brain examinations. A midline internal skull surface (MISS) and subcutaneous fat signal intensity were measured to calculate CC/MISS and CC/fat ratios. Four groups of subjects were studied: 124 apparently healthy subjects, 45 patients with multiple sclerosis, 13 patients with a noncerebral cancer under chemotherapy, and 37 AIDS patients.


RESULTS
Mean surface area of CC in controls was 6.36 cm2. It was significantly larger in men than in women (P < .05), but CC/MISS ratio was not. Elderly controls > 70 years and AIDS patients displayed significant CC atrophy, as well as multiple sclerosis subjects with long-standing disease or with a severe chronic progressive form.


CONCLUSIONS
CC substance loss identification should not be based on visual inspection or on absolute area, but by means of a CC/MISS ratio.
Laissy
J P
JP
Department of Radiology, Bichat University Hospital, Paris, France.
Patrux
B
B
Duchateau
C
C
Hannequin
D
D
Hugonet
P
P
Ait-Yahia
H
H
Thiebot
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001284:Atrophy; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000473:pathology; D011446:Prospective Studies