Clinical Significance of the Corpus Callosum in Cerebral Palsy

PURPOSE: To evaluate, using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, the clinal significance of the corpus callosum by measuring the size of various portions of the corpus callosum in children with cerebral palsy, and in paired controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-two children [30 boys and 22 girls aged between six and 96 (median, 19) months in whom cerebal palsy was clinically diagnosed underwent MR imaging. There were 23 term patients and 29 preterm, and the control group was selected by age and sex matching. Clinal subtypes of cerebal palsy were classified as hemiplegia(n =14), spastic diplegia(n=22), or spastic quadriplegia(n=16), and according to the severity of motor palsy, the condition was also classified as mild(n=26), moderate(n=13), or severe(n=13). In addition to the length and height of the corpus callosum, the thickness of its genu, body, transitional zone and splenium, as seen on midsagittal T1-weighted MR images, were also measured. Differences in the measured values of the two groups were statistically analysed and differences in the size of the corpus callosum according to the clinical severity and subtypes of cerebral palsy, and gestational age, were also assessed. RESULTS: Except for height, the measured values of the corpus callosum in patients with cerebral palsy were significantly less than those of the control group (p < 0.05). Its size decreased according to the severity of motor palsy. Compared with term patients, the corpus callosum in preterm patients was considerably smaller (p< 0.05). CONCLUSION: There was statistically significant correlation between the severity of motor palsy and the size of the corpus callosum. Quantitative evaluation of the corpus callosum might be a good indicator of neurologic prognosis, and a sensitive marker for assessing the extent of brain injury.

MR Measurement of the Normal Corpus Callosum in Children

PURPOSE: To measure the mean size of the various portions of the corpus callosum in normal Korean children, using MR imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our subjects were 166 children (male : female=100 : 66) aged under 15 whose findings on MR imaging and neurologic examination were normal. Using midsagittal T1-weighted imaging, we measured the length of the brain and corpus callosum, the height of the latter, and the thickness of its genu, body, transitional zone and splenium. The measurements were statistically analysed according to age and sex. RESULTS: Brain length and the size of the various portions of the corpus callosum tended to increase relatively rapidly during the first three years of life, but the rate of growth tended to decrease according to age. The mean length of the brain and corpus callosum and the mean thickness of the splenium of the corpus callosum did not differ according to sex. The mean thickness of the genu, body and transitional zone of the corpus callosum was greater in males than in females. The ratio of the length of the corpus callosum to the anteroposterior diameter of the brain was significantly greater in females than in males (alpha = 0.05). CONCLUSION: Using MR imaging, we measured the mean sizes of the various portions of the corpus callosum in normal children ; these values may provide a useful basis for determing changes occurring in its structure.