Diameter assessment of the third ventricle with transcranial sonography in patients with multiple sclerosis.
OBJECTIVE
Diameter measurement of the third ventricle with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and recently also with transcranial sonography (TCS) has emerged as a surrogate marker for brain atrophy and disease progression in multiple sclerosis (MS). This study aims to evaluate TCS measurements of the third ventricle diameter in a clinical routine setting against MRI.


METHODS
Transverse diameters of the third ventricle were determined in 27 MS patients using both, TCS and MRI. In TCS, the distance between the leading edges of the brain-ventricle interfaces was assessed in axial image planes. In MRI, the transverse diameter of the mid-portion of the third ventricle was measured on axial T1-weighted images.


RESULTS
The mean diameter of the third ventricle was 4.0 mm (SD 1.7 mm), when measured with MRI, and 4.4 mm (SD 1.7 mm), when measured with TCS. The 95% limits of agreement of the Bland-Altman Plot were 2.93 mm (95% CI 2.08 to 3.78 mm) and -2.23 mm (95%CI -3.08 to -1.38 mm). Pearson correlation coefficient was .71 (P < .0001).


CONCLUSIONS
TCS may appear suitable as screening examination for the extent of brain atrophy at a single-point study, but at least in the early stages of the disease, TCS is not useful to monitor disease progression.
Schminke
Ulf
U
Department of Neurology, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University, Greifswald, Germany. Ulf.Schminke@uni-greifswald.de
Lorenz
Leif
L
Kirsch
Michael
M
von Sarnowski
Bettina
B
Khaw
Alexander V
AV
Kessler
Christof
C
Dressel
Alexander
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001284:Atrophy; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D020528:Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Progressive / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D009929:Organ Size; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020542:Third Ventricle / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D013997:Time Factors; D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial; D055815:Young Adult