The Choroid Plexus in Normal Full-term Neonate: A Study of Morphological Variety on Sonography

Lee, Young Seok; Kim, Ji Hye

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the sonographic features of normal choroid plexus, thushelping avoid misinterpretations such as intraventricular hemorrhage or abnormality.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Posterior coronal, parasagittal, and oblique sagittal scans of 400 choroid plexus in normal full-term neonates(100girls, 100 boys) were reviewed with special attention to coronal configuration, glomus patterns,and the shape ofanterior ends. Sonographic features were classified as follows ; tubular(type 1), posterior clubbing(type 2),mid-bulging(type 3), or double choroidal pattern(type 4), as seen on posterior coronal scans; crescent(type1),superior notching(type 2), dorsal bulging(type 3), or inferior notching(type 4), as seen on parasagittal scans;and anterior tapering(type 1) and clubbing shape (type 2) on oblique parasagittal scans. Maximal diameters of thechoroid plexus on posterior coronal scan and the glomus on parasagittal scan were measured. All sonographicmeasurements of normal choroid plexus were statistically analysed according to gender and side.
RESULTS
Fourhundred normal choroid plexus were classified as 293 cases(73%) of tubular pattern(type 1), 50 cases(13%) ofposterior bulging(type 2), 44 cases (11%) of mid-bulging(type 3) and 13 cases(3%) of double choroidal pattern(type 4) as seen on posterior coronal scans ; 263 cases(66%) of crescent shape(type 1), 70 cases(17%) of superiornotching (type 2), 38 cases(9%) of dorsal bulging(type 3), and 29 cases(7%) of inferior notching(type 4), as seenon parasagittal scans; and 233 cases(58%) of anterior tapering(type 1) and 167 cases(42%) of anterior clubbing(type 2), as seen on oblique parasagittal scans. Maximal diameters of the choroid plexus on posterior coronal scanwere 7.17 +/-0.12 mm (95% confidence interval [CI]) on the right side and 7.13 +/-0.19mm (95% CI) on the left side,and 8.13 +/-0.24(95% CI) mm on the right and 8.57 +/-0.29mm on the left side glomus on parasagittal scan. There wereno significant statistical differences with regard to gender and side.
CONCLUSION
We have observed themorphological variety of the choroid plexus in normal full-term neonates on ultrasonograms and believe that aknowledge of the various sonographic patterns involved can help differentiating normal choroid plexus fromintraventricular hemorrhage or choroidal abnormality.