Comparison of computerized tomography with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the evaluation of encephalic ventricular volume.

The volume of the encephalic ventricles was determined from computerized tomographic (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of seven subjects without apparent pathology and three subjects with enlarged ventricles. Since there are many conditions in which the encephalic ventricles become enlarged such as Alzheimer's disease and hydrocephalus, accurate measurement of these structures provides (1) a valuable and safe means of aiding in the diagnosis of such conditions and (2) important follow-up information on affected patients. This paper presents the data obtained from the second phase of a three phase study. The first phase demonstrated the possibility of measuring fluid filled spaces by MRI in three phantom preparations (small, medium, and large “ventricles”). The results were compared with those obtained from the computerized tomography (CT) scans of the same preparations. This phase of the study compares the volumes obtained from CT scans with those obtained from MRI scans of the same individuals. The volumetric calculations were done with the aid of a Calcomp 9000 digital analyser programmed to compensate for the scale factor and slice thickness of the images. The results obtained from the MRI scans correlated closely with those obtained from the CT scans of the same subjects. The third and final phase of the project is the development of an MRI volumetric data base for the encephalic ventricles using a larger number of subjects.