title: Measuring cranial vault volume with three-dimensional photography: a method of measurement comparable to the gold standard.
abstract: The gold standard for measuring cranial vault volume is a computed tomography (CT) scan. Computed tomography scans in the pediatric population carry the significant risk of inducing a malignancy later in life. In a novel study, we show that a three-dimensional (3D) photograph can be used to measure and track cranial vault volume changes in craniosynostosis patients. In a study of adequate power as determined by pre hoc analysis, we demonstrate a greater than 0.91 correlation coefficient between volume as measured by CT and 3D photograph in more than 70 patients presenting to a tertiary craniofacial center (P < 0.001). Volume above a plane running through the lateral canthus (ex) and tragus (t) sag-ex-t on the digital 3D photograph differs from CT by a mean percentage difference of 31.9% (SD, 14.0%; 95% confidence interval, P < 0.0001). A linear regression model was used to determine the equation describing the relationship between volume as measured by 3D photograph and CT; with this equation, the absolute volume of the cranial vault is easily determined using only the 3D image. Interrater reliability is high (>0.99, ICC). The ability to measure cranial vault volume from the 3D photograph adds an important dimension to the complete and objective analysis of skull growth and postoperative change.
authors.affiliation: Royal Children's Hospital, Department of Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery, Melbourne Australia. doug.mckay@utoronto.ca
authors.forename: Douglas R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: McKay
authors.forename: Kristen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Davidge
authors.forename: Susanne K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Lloyd A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Ellis
authors.forename: David K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.forename: Rodrigo P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: Andrew L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Greensmith
authors.forename: Anthony D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Holmes
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003398:Craniosynostoses / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007223:Infant; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D010781:Photography / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012886:Skull / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed