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Erschienen in:
08.12.2015 | Original Article
Size of the intracranial optic nerve and optic tract in neonates at term-equivalent age at magnetic resonance imaging
Erschienen in: Pediatric Radiology | Ausgabe 4/2016
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Background
The expected MRI-based dimensions of the intracranial optic nerve and optic tract in neonates are unknown.
Objective
To evaluate the sizes of the intracranial optic nerve and optic tract in neonates at term-equivalent age using MRI.
Materials and methods
We retrospectively analyzed brain MRI examinations in 62 infants (28 boys) without intracranial abnormalities. The images were obtained in infants at term-equivalent age with a 1.5-tesla MRI scanner. We measured the widths and heights of the intracranial optic nerve and optic tract and calculated the cross-sectional areas using the formula for an ellipse.
Results
The means ± standard deviation of the width, height and cross-sectional area of the intracranial optic nerve were 2.7 ± 0.2 mm, 1.7 ± 0.2 mm and 3.5 ± 0.5 mm2, respectively. The width, height and cross-sectional area of the optic tract were 1.5 ± 0.1 mm, 1.6 ± 0.1 mm and 2.0 ± 0.2 mm2, respectively. Using univariate and multivariate analyses, we found that postmenstrual age showed independent intermediate positive correlations with the width (r = 0.48, P < 0.01) and cross-sectional area (r = 0.40, P < 0.01) of the intracranial optic nerve. The lower bounds of the 95% prediction intervals for the width and cross-sectional area of the intracranial optic nerve were 0.07 × (postmenstrual age in weeks) – 0.46 mm, and 0.17 × (postmenstrual age in weeks) – 4.0 mm2, respectively.
Conclusion
We identified the sizes of the intracranial optic nerve and optic tract in neonates at term-equivalent age. The postmenstrual age at MRI independently positively correlated with the sizes.