In normal aging ventricular system never attains pathological values of Evans' index

Ventricular enlargement in normal aging frequently forces the radiological diagnosis of hydrocephalus, but the reliability of Evans' index as a radiological marker of abnormal ventricular enlargement (values > 0.30) during aging is not assessed. Here we analyze ventricular size during aging...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Oncotarget 2016-03, Vol.7 (11), p.11860-11863
Main Authors: Missori, Paolo, Rughetti, Aurelia, Peschillo, Simone, Gualdi, Gianfranco, Di Biasi, Claudio, Nofroni, Italo, Marinelli, Lucio, Fattapposta, Francesco, Currà, Antonio
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Aging - physiology
Cerebral Ventricles - diagnostic imaging
Cerebral Ventricles - physiopathology
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Hydrocephalus, Normal Pressure - diagnostic imaging
Hydrocephalus, Normal Pressure - pathology
Male
Middle Aged
Nervous System Diseases - diagnostic imaging
Nervous System Diseases - pathology
Prognosis
Reproducibility of Results
Research Paper: Gerotarget (Focus on Aging)
Retrospective Studies
Severity of Illness Index
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
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Summary:Ventricular enlargement in normal aging frequently forces the radiological diagnosis of hydrocephalus, but the reliability of Evans' index as a radiological marker of abnormal ventricular enlargement (values > 0.30) during aging is not assessed. Here we analyze ventricular size during aging and the reliability of Evans' index as a radiological marker of abnormal ventricular enlargement. We calculated Evans' index in the axial Computed Tomography scans of 1221 consecutive individuals (aged 45-101 years) from an emergency department. Stratified analysis of one-year cohorts showed that the mean Evans' index value per class was invariably < 0.30. Roughly one out five Computed Tomography scans was associated with Evans' index values > 0.30 and Evans' index values increased with age. The risk of having an Evans' index value > 0.30 increased by 7.8% per year of age (p < 0.001) and males were at 83.9% greater risk than females (p < 0.001). Overall, this study shows that normal aging enlarges the ventricular system, but never causes abnormal ventricular enlargement. Evans' index values > 0.30 should reflect an underlying neurological condition in every individual.
ISSN:1949-2553
1949-2553
DOI:10.18632/oncotarget.7644