Intracranial volumes in a large series of healthy children.

BACKGROUND

Craniosynostosis alters the normal growth of the infant skull and can influence intracranial pressure and intracranial volume. The purpose of this study was to measure intracranial volumes in a large series of healthy children to serve as a reference for further studies exploring the impact of craniosynostosis and vault remodeling on intracranial growth.

METHODS

A total of 123 children were included in this study from a retrospective review of pediatric emergency room visits for evaluation of head trauma where a head computed tomography scan was performed. Intracranial volumes were obtained using a semiautomated image segmentation technique and volume-rendering software.

RESULTS

Volume measurements were obtained and plotted against age, and a best fit curve approximation was derived. In this study of healthy children, intracranial volume doubled by 9 months of age and tripled by 6 years of age.

CONCLUSIONS

This large study contributes to the existing data demonstrating intracranial volumes in healthy children up to 6 years of age. These data can be used by clinicians as a reference in the assessment of a child presenting with cranial dysmorphology.