Magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of normal variations of corpus callosum according to sex and age

ABSTRACT

To evaluate changes in the size and morphology of the corpus callosum as regard sex and age. Two hundred persons with ages ranged between 20 and 80 years and had no psychiatric disorders or lesion involving the corpus callosum or adjacent structures including 100 males and 100 females were studied by MRI for brain. The study revealed increase in total callosal area in females than in males. The maximum changes in size were found in isthmus and splenium and least variations occurred in the trunk. There was no specific sex variation in genu and rostrum. There was definite decrease in the total callosal area in old age group in both sexes. In males the decrease was evident above age of 60 years and in females above the age of 70 years. The maximal decline in size was found in the genu. No specific morphological patterns could be described for corpus callosum in different sex or age groups. MRI is the most valuable imaging modality in evaluation of the corpus callosum. The females have larger corpus callosum evidently seen at posterior part. There is decline in size of corpus callosum in old age evidently seen in the anterior part