J Korean Radiol Soc.  1994 May;30(5):795-800.

High Signal Intensity of the Septum Pellucidum at MR Imaging:Significance in Hydrocephalus

• Kim CS
• Kim EH
• Chung CP
• Yoon JH

Abstract

PURPOSE
To evaluate the significance of high signal intensity of the septum pellucidum in hydrocephalus on proton density-weighted brain MR images.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Authors reviewed the MR images of 418 cases of patients with normal(175 cases), hydrocephalic(35 cases), atrophic(58 cases), and other groups(150 cases) retrospectively. We analyzed the signal intensity of the septum pellucidum in the normal group and the incidences of high signal intensities of periventricular area of frontal horn of lateral ventricle(area 1), periventricular area except area 1(area 2), callososeptal area(area 3), and septum pellucidum(area 4) in the normal and abnormal groups.
RESULTS
In the normal group, the septurn pellucidum was isointense to the head of caudate nucleus on proton density-weighted image. High signal intensity of the septurn pellucidurn was seen in 31 cases (22 cases of hydrocephalus, 5 cases of brain atrophy, and 4 cases of others), and showed high specificity(91.4%) for hydrocephalus in spite of low sensitivity(62.9%), as compared with periventricular hyperintensities of other areas.
CONCLUSION
High signal intensity of the septum pellucidum on proton density-weighted image may be caused by transependymal CSF migration in the patients with hydrocephalus, and considered as an additional finding of hydrocephalus in the cases of ventriculomegaly.

MeSH Terms

Animals
Atrophy
Brain
Caudate Nucleus
Head
Horns
Humans
Hydrocephalus*
Incidence
Protons
Retrospective Studies
Septum Pellucidum*
Protons