Turkish Neurosurgery 2014 , Vol 24 , Num 4
Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus versus Atrophic Dilatation to Distinguish and Predict the Benefits of Surgical Intervention with a Phase-Contrast MRI Technique
Kerim ASLAN1, Onur TOKATLIOGLU2, Ramazan AYDIN3, Ahmet Veysel POLAT1, Lutfi INCESU1
1Ondokuz Mayis University, School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Samsun, Turkey
2Private Samsun Büyük Anadolu Hospital, Department of Radiology, Samsun, Turkey
3Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Hospital, Department of Radiology, Samsun, Turkey
DOI : 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.9101-13.1 AIM: To compare mean cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volume in the aqueduct by using phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging for the patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (INPH) and atrophic dilation (AD) to investigate the efficacy of this technique in predicting surgery.

MATERIAL and METHODS: The MR images of a total of 80 individuals, consisting of 30 patients considered to have INPH, 20 patients with AD not proportional with cerebral sulci, and 30 control cases without a hydrocephalus clinical picture, were evaluated retrospectively. The minute mean aqueductal CSF flow rates of the three groups were compared using the Kruskall-Wallis analysis of variance, and the inter-group statistical comparisons were made using the Mann-Whitney U test.

RESULTS: The mean aqueductal flow rates were 46.56 ± 25.06 ml/min for the INPH group, 9.28 ± 4.68 ml/min for the AD group, and 8.68 ± 3.40 ml/min for the control group. The mean flow rate of the INPH group was significantly higher than those of the control and ADH groups (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: The mean CSF flow rate may be useful in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis, and the prediction of the potential benefits of surgical intervention for patients considered to have INPH. Keywords : Phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging, Normal pressure hydrocephalus, Cerebrospinal fluid

Corresponding author : Kerim Aslan, mdkerim@hotmail.com