Abstract
Volume measurements of the brain are of interest in the diagnosis of brain pathology. This is particularly so in the investigation hydrocephalus and canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD), both of which result in thinning of the cerebral cortex and enlarged ventricles. Volume assessment can be made using computed tomography or more usually magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). There is, however, some uncertainty in the interpretation of such volume data due to the great variation in skull size and shape seen in dog. In this retrospective study, we examined normal MRI images from 63 dogs <6 years of age. We used a continuous variable, the cranial index (CrI) to indicate skull shape and compared it with MRI volume measurements derived using Cavalieri’s principle. We found a negative correlation between CrI and the ratio of cortical to ventricular volume. Breeds with a high CrI (large laterolateral compared to rostrocaudal cranial cavity dimension) had a smaller ratio of cortical to ventricular volume (low C:V ratio) than breeds with lower CrI skull types. It is important to consider this effect of skull shape on the relative volume estimates of the cerebral cortex and ventricles when trying to establish if pathology is present.
Highlights
Measurements of cerebral cortical and ventricular volumes are of diagnostic interest in the dog
This is especially so in dogs suspected of canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD)
We examine the relationship between this ratio and an index of skull shape to address the hypothesis that skull shape has and effect on C:V ratio in dogs
Summary
Measurements of cerebral cortical and ventricular volumes are of diagnostic interest in the dog. This is especially so in dogs suspected of canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD). This is a disease of elderly dogs (≥8 years) resembling human Alzheimer’s disease [1, 2]. Various methods have been used to estimate the volume of brain structures on MRI scans in dogs. In the diagnosis of CCD, Cavalieri’s principle was used to demonstrate a significantly smaller cortex/ventricle ratio when comparing a group of dogs with CCD (mean age, 12.6 years) with
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