3D mapping of cerebrospinal fluid local volume changes in patients with hydrocephalus treated by surgery: preliminary study

Objective To develop automated deformation modelling for the assessment of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) local volume changes in patients with hydrocephalus treated by surgery. Methods Ventricular and subarachnoid CSF volume changes were mapped by calculating the Jacobian determinant of the deformation fields obtained after non-linear registration of pre- and postoperative images. A total of 31 consecutive patients, 15 with communicating hydrocephalus (CH) and 16 with non-communicating hydrocephalus (NCH), were investigated before and after surgery using a 3D SPACE (sampling perfection with application optimised contrast using different flip-angle evolution) sequence. Two readers assessed CSF volume changes using 3D colour-encoded maps. The Evans index and postoperative volume changes of the lateral ventricles and sylvian fissures were quantified and statistically compared. Results Before surgery, sylvian fissure and brain ventricle volume differed significantly between CH and NCH ( P = 0.001 and P = 0.025, respectively). After surgery, 3D colour-encoded maps allowed for the visual recognition of the CSF volume changes in all patients. The amounts of ventricle volume loss of CH and NCH patients were not significantly different ( P = 0.30), whereas readjustment of the sylvian fissure volume was conflicting in CH and NCH patients ( P < 0.001). The Evans index correlated with ventricle volume in NCH patients. Conclusion 3D mapping of CSF volume changes is feasible providing a quantitative follow-up of patients with hydrocephalus. Key Points • MRI can provide helpful information about cerebrospinal fluid volumes. • 3D CSF mapping allows quantitative follow-up in communicating and non-communicating hydrocephalus. • Following intervention, fissures and cisterns readjust in both forms of hydrocephalus. • These findings support the hypothesis of suprasylvian block in communicating hydrocephalus. • 3D mapping may improve shunt dysfunction detection and guide valve pressure settings.