Three-dimensional volume measurement of the lateral ventricles in preterm and term infants: evaluation of a standardised computer-assisted method in vivo.
BACKGROUND
Assessment of ventricular size still represents a challenge for two-dimensional cranial sonography.


OBJECTIVE
Three-dimensional (3D) volume acquisition and volume quantification are easily accomplished by an automatic scanning system without additional examination time. The development of a computer-assisted ultrasonic device will offer new perspectives for the quantification of ventricular volume.


METHODS
In total, 250 healthy neonates between 27 and 41 weeks' gestation and infants up to 6 months of age without neurological pathology were examined with 3D cranial ultrasound (US). The volume of both lateral ventricles and the third ventricle were separately quantified and summated for the calculation of ventricular volume. The correlation between body weight (BW), head circumference (HC), gestational age (GA) and ventricular volume was statistically analysed.


RESULTS
There was a statistically significant correlation between GA, BW, HC and ventricular volume. Normal values for premature and mature infants were established.


CONCLUSIONS
3D US appears to be an accurate imaging modality for the exact calculation of ventricular volume and should, therefore, be incorporated into the cranial sonographic assessment of ventricular size in infants.
Csutak
Rosalia
R
Department of Neonatology and Intensive Care Unit, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Unterassinger
Lukas
L
Rohrmeister
Claudia
C
Weninger
Manfred
M
Vergesslich
Klara A
KA
D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D007229:Infant Welfare; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D020547:Lateral Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology*; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial