Assessment of Third and Fourth Ventricle Size Among Patients Undergoing Computed Tomography of Brain at Nims Hospital Jaipur

Abstract

Introduction: The assessment of ventricular sizes, particularly the third and fourth ventricles, is critical for diagnosing various neurological disorders. This study aimed to evaluate the dimensions of these ventricles among patients undergoing computed tomography (CT) of the brain at NIMS Hospital, Jaipur.

Method: The study included 150 participants aged 20-70 years, with individuals showing brain pathologies or neurological deficits being excluded. Axial non-contrast CT (NCCT) scans with a slice thickness of 5 mm were used to measure ventricular dimensions. Descriptive statistics and t-tests were employed for data analysis, with significance set at p ≤ 0.05.

Result: The majority of participants had third ventricle sizes between 2 mm - 4 mm (52.67%) and fourth ventricle sizes between 10-12 mm (42.67%). Males exhibited significantly larger ventricular sizes compared to females, with mean diameters of 4.3 mm and 12.57 mm for the third and fourth ventricles, respectively, versus 3.61 mm and 11.58 mm in females. An age-related increase in the size of the third ventricle was observed, particularly from adolescence to older age (p=0.01041), while no significant age-related change was found in the fourth ventricle (p=0.39456).

Conclusion: This study underscores the importance of considering both age and gender in evaluating ventricular sizes. The findings suggest that the third ventricle tends to enlarge with age and is generally larger in males. These results provide valuable normative data for the Indian population, which can assist in the clinical interpretation of ventricular measurements during neurological evaluations.