Correlation of Transfontanel Ultrasonography and Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging Measurements in Neonates with Hydrocephalus.

AIM: To evaluate whether transfontanel ultrasonography could serve as a practical and less complex alternative to brain magnetic resonance imaging in infants with hydrocephalus.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

In this prospective study, 54 infants diagnosed with hydrocephalus underwent both transfontanel ultrasonography and brain magnetic resonance imaging. A neonatologist and a radiologist independently assessed ventricular measurements, including the Evans index, frontooccipital horn ratio, bilateral ventricular index, anterior horn width, thalamooccipital distance, callosal angle, and corpus callosum length.

RESULTS

Among the 54 infants, 48 (88.9%) received a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. A strong correlation was found between transfontanel ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging for most ventricular measurements: Evans index (r=0.875, p=0.0001), frontooccipital horn ratio (r=0.867, p=0.0001), callosal angle (r=0.868, p=0.0001), bilateral ventricular index (left r=0.937, right r=0.944; p=0.0001 for both), bilateral anterior horn width (left r=0.918, right r=0.908; p=0.0001 for both), and bilateral thalamooccipital distance (left r=0.956, right r=0.919; p=0.0001 for both). The correlation for corpus callosum length was statistically significant but weaker (r=0.386, p=0.004).

CONCLUSION

Our study emphasizes that transfontanel ultrasonography?which achieves better results in experienced hands? should be widespread and an excellent alternative to unnecessary and repeated imaging methods.