title: Corpus callosum thickness on mid-sagittal MRI as a marker of brain volume: a pilot study in children with HIV-related brain disease and controls.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Corpus callosum thickness measurement on mid-sagittal MRI may be a surrogate marker of brain volume. This is important for evaluation of diseases causing brain volume gain or loss, such as HIV-related brain disease and HIV encephalopathy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine if thickness of the corpus callosum on mid-sagittal MRI is a surrogate marker of brain volume in children with HIV-related brain disease and in controls without HIV.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective MRI analysis in children (<5 years old) with HIV-related brain disease and controls used a custom-developed semi-automated tool, which divided the midline corpus callosum and measured its thickness in multiple locations. Brain volume was determined using volumetric analysis. Overall corpus callosum thickness and thickness of segments of the corpus callosum were correlated with overall and segmented (grey and white matter) brain volume.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-four children (33 HIV-infected patients and 11 controls) were included. Significant correlations included overall corpus callosum (mean) and total brain volume (P = 0.05); prefrontal corpus callosum maximum with white matter volume (P = 0.02); premotor corpus callosum mean with total brain volume (P = 0.04) and white matter volume (P = 0.02), premotor corpus callosum maximum with white matter volume (P = 0.02) and sensory corpus callosum mean with total brain volume (P = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Corpus callosum thickness correlates with brain volume both in HIV-infected patients and controls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, 700 Harbouredge, 10 Hospital Str. Greenpoint, Cape Town, 8005, South Africa, docsav@mweb.co.za.
authors.forename: Savvas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Andronikou
authors.forename: Christelle
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ackermann
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Laughton
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cotton
authors.forename: Nicollette
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tomazos
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Spottiswoode
authors.forename: Katya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mauff
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Pettifor
mesh_terms: D001837:Body Weights and Measures / Q000379:methods*; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000473:pathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies