Normal Width of Third Ventricle in Libyan Population: Assessment By MRI
Keywords:
Third ventricle, MRIAbstract
Aim: As age advances, the human brain undergoes many gross and histopathological changes with regression of the brain tissue leading to the enlargement of the ventricles but also has been associated with many neurological disorders. Knowledge of morphometrics and the size of the normal ventricular system of the brain is important to understand these changes. This study aimed to determine the normal reference values of the width of the third ventricle in healthy subjects of the Libyan population using the magnetic resonance imaging technique (MRI) and to explore the sex and age-related differences.
Subjects and methods:
This study was carried out on one hundred patients with normal brain MRI exams who underwent non-contrast MRI brain (fifty sex females and forty-four males) aged between twelve and ninety years during the period from January 2019 and March 2020. The third ventricle width was measured and statistically analyzed.
Results:
The third ventricle width of all subjects' mean (± SD) was 3.243 ± 1.607 mm (The smallest TVW was 2.19 mm and the largest TVW was 5.84 mm). In females, the mean (± SD) was 3.08 ± 1.52 mm while in males; the mean (± SD) was 3.44 ± 1.700 mm. We found that width was higher in males than in females, but the difference was non-significant. (p value = 0.274). In our study, the youngest patient was 12 years old; whereas the oldest was 90 years. Third ventricle width (TVW) increased with advancing age and there was a steady rise across age groups until the sixth decade, after which there was a sharp rise. The small p-value (P<0.001) suggests that there is a statistically significant difference in third ventricle width (TVW) between the groups defined by the variable "age."
Conclusion: Understanding of ventricular system anatomy is essential for clinicians, neurosurgeons, and radiologists. The literature highlights that ventricular size is a potential indicator in diagnosing many brain-related diseases. Additionally, the normal reference values of ventricles obtained from MRI are necessary to form the baseline data for interpreting pathological changes, planning surgery, and determining the presence and progress of some neurological diseases.
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