Evaluation of supra- and infratentorial brain atrophy by computerised tomography in spinocerebellar degeneration.

Abstract

Measurement of various parameters of supra- and infratentorial brain atrophy in computerized tomographs of 142 cases of spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD) and 100 age & sex matched controls was carried out in order to investigate whether these parameters would correspond to the subtypes of this disease and differing grades of various clinical manifestations. One supra- and all infratentorial parameters of SCD showed statistically significant atrophy with a risk of P less than 0.005. Among the subtypes, OPCA had a more severely atrophied pons than LCCA (P less than 0.005), Menzel (P less than 0.05) and SSP (P less than 0.01). There was a correlation between the distribution of symptoms like gait, speech, ataxia of extremities and ocular movement disorders, and distribution and degree of infratentorial atrophy with statistical significance (P less than 0.05 approximately P less than 0.005). The degree of atrophy of the pons and the width of the IV ventricle were directly proportional to the duration of the illness in cases of less than 10 years, but not to those of over 10 years. Follow-up CT scan was done for 24 patients, 12 within 3 years, 12 after the lapse of 3 years. The latter group showed statistically significant atrophy between the 1st and 2nd scans in several parameters, but there was no significance between those of the former group.