Summary
Radiological assessments of patients with symptoms of impaired cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulation are usually based on observations of anatomical and functional alterations using computed tomography (CT) and radionuclide cisternography (RC). In order to define criteria of normality for these two techniques, 30 healthy volunteers have been studied. In the studies of CSF flow the radiopharmaceutical 99mTc-DTPA was used and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was performed as a complement to planar scintigraphy. In 16 of the 30 volunteers the pattern of CSF flow was normal according to conventional criteria. In these subjects the radioactivity was symmetrically located over the parietal cortex 24 h after the injection and no intraventricular activity could be recorded. In 11 (41%) of the subjects, radioactivity could be observed in the lateral ventricles 6 h after injection. One of these subjects had a reflux of radioactivity into the lateral ventricles. The intraventricular radioactivity persisted for at least 24 h. This subject also had signs of obstruction of CSF flow over the convexities. Asymmetric distribution of radioactivity within the CSF spaces was observed in the images obtained after 6 but not 24 h in two cases. One of those also demonstrated transient intraventricular radioactivity. The results of the computed tomography were interpreted to be normal in 19 (63%) of the 30 volunteers. One subject had an asymmetric ventricular system. The CT scans of six subjects (20%) differed considerably from the others as they displayed wide cortical or vermian sulci at the borderline of normal variations. The case with the pathological RC belonged to the group of subjects who had wide sulci. He also had a wide third ventricle. No subject had dilated lateral ventricles on CT. It is concluded that transient but not persistent (up to 24 h) intraventricular reflux should be interpreted as a normal finding in radionuclide cisternography. The probable mechanism for this reflux is discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adams RH, Fischer CM, Hakim S, Ojeman RG, Sweet WH (1965) Symptomatic occult hydrocephalus with ‘normal’ cerebrospinal fluid pressure: A treatable syndrome. N Engl J Med 273:117–126
Hakim S, Adams RH (1965) The special clinical problem of symptomatic hydrocephalus with normal cerebrospinal fluid pressure: Observations on cerebrospinal fluid hydrodynamics. J Neurol Sci 2:307–327
Cserr H, Fenstermacher J, Fencl V (eds) (1975) Fluid environment of the brain. Academic Press, New York San Francisco London
Oxenstierna G, Bergstrand G, Bjerkenstedt L, Sedvall G, Wik G (1984) Evidence of disturbed CSF circulation and brain atrophy in cases of schizophrenic psychosis. Brit J Psychiatry 144:654–661
Di Chiro G, Reames PM, Matthews WB Jr (1964) RISA-ventriculography and RISA-cisternography. Neurology 14:185–191
Heinz ER, Davies DO, Karp HR (1970) Abnormal isotope cisternography in symptomatic occult hydrocephalus: a correlative isotopic neuroradiological study of 130 subjects. Radiology 95:109–120
McCullough D, Harbert JC, Di Chiro G (1970) Prognostic criteria for CSF shunting from cisternography in communicating hydrocephalus. Neuroradiology 20:594–598
Harbert JC, McCullough D, Schellinger D (1977) Computed cranial tomography and radionuclide cisternography in hydrocephalus. Semin Nucl Med 2:197–200
Kieffer SA, Wolff JM, Prentice W, Loken M (1971) Scinticisternography in individuals without known neurological disease. Am J Roentgenol 112:225–236
Kieffer SA, Wolff JM, Westreich G (1973) The borderline scinticisternogram. Radiology 106:133–140
Brokman VA, Morin RL (1975) Dosimetry of several DTPA radiopharmaceuticals in cisternography. J Nucl Med 16:1177–1182
Bergstrand G, Larsson S, Bergström M, Eriksson L, Edner G (1983) Cerebrospinal fluid circulation: Evaluation by single-photon and positron emission tomography. AJNR 4:557–559
Larsson SA, Bergstrand G, Bergstedt H, Berg J, Flygare O, Shnell PO, Andersson N, Lagergren C (1984) A specially designed cut-off gamma camera for high resolution SPECT of the head. J Nucl Med 25:1023–1030
Hansson J, Levander B, Liliequist B (1975) Size of the intracerebral ventricles as measured with computer tomography, encephalography and echoventriculography. Acta Radiol [Suppl] 346:98
Gyldensted C (1977) Measurements of the normal ventricular system and hemispheric sulci of 100 adults with computed tomography. Neuroradiology 14:183–192
Greitz T, Hindmarsh T (1974) Computer assisted tomography of intracranial CSF circulation using a water-soluble contrast medium. Acta Radiol [Diagn] 15:497–507
Hindmarsh T, Greitz T (1975) Computer cisternography in the diagnosis of communicating hydrocephalus. Acta Radiol [Suppl] 346:91–97
Greitz T, Ekbom K, Kugelberg E, Breig A (1969) Occult hydrocephalus due to ectasia of the basilar artery. Acta Radiol [Diagn] 9:310–316
Du Boulay G, O'Connell J, Curie J, Bostick T, Verity P (1972) Further investigations on pulsatile movements in the cerebrospinal fluid pathways. Acta Radiol [Diagn] 13:496–523
DeLand FH, Simmons G (1976) Spinal cord and spinal fluid. DHEW Publication 76-8044, Washington: 390–403
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bergstrand, G., Oxenstierna, G., Flyckt, L. et al. Radionuclide cisternography and computed tomography in 30 healthy volunteers. Neuroradiology 28, 154–160 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00327889
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00327889